The Moon, The Star and The Blade
by tiffy-kun823
Summary: After the Fourth Great Ninja War, Tenten struggles to find herself despite feelings of utter rejection: Rejection by the village leaders, her own mother and even Neji Hyuga, who may be the one person to heal her aching heart. Please read this tale of love, dance, blades and overcoming hopelessness. NejiXTen. M for a reason. Enjoy!
1. Waning

_**Okay, welcome to this new rewrite of The Moon, The Star and The Blade.**_

_**This existed in my personal Naruto Universe where no one's dead (since Neji is a main character)**_

_**This is going to be A LOT darker than the original story, so prepare yourself.  
Themes: Romance, Angst, Drama, Family**_

_**Very adult fanfic.**_

_**Love You Guys.**_

_**Hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

**Part 1**  
**Chapter 1- The Moon: Waning**

* * *

She fought in the war, one of hundreds, and thus learned the reality of her uselessness.

She was no hero, no individual; nothing of importance.

She had aspirations that reached the highest rankings of her profession and yet was not even properly rewarded for her sacrifices.

There was peace, blissfully frustrating peace that completely took her only livelihood away from her; what did anyone need a warrior for, when there was no war. Who needed to be proficient in weaponry? Nobody.

Here she was, eighteen years old, no family, no career, the only thing to her name a fading reputation, a one-bedroom apartment and a few custom blades she had either made or been given.

At first, Tenten was happy to be apart of the great change that was happening in their world. Then she realized once the true saviors were given their badges, medals and governing positions, everyone else was like petals in the wind.

In the first few weeks, she kept up her routine of training and strict physical discipline. Eventually, it became pointless to go through all of that for what, her own enjoyment?

Granted, she hated sitting around her house all day sulking, but the depression was inconsistent. She wanted to go out and be _alive_, but she also wanted to curl into a ball sometimes.

When she was in a good mood, she'd walk to the Hokage's office and ask, nearly beg, for a mission. Well these new missions were for _negotiators, diplomats, doctors, _nothing she was trained or qualified to do.

After those disappointments, she'd go and try to find her former teammates. Lee would be training and teaching children. He would offer to speak to her on a later date, but she casually told him that he didn't have to make additional time for her.

Neji was an entirely different issue. She went to see him at the Hyuga compound once. She was told by some stuffy housekeeper that he was busy and would be for a long while. He had accepted responsibilities throughout his house, which assured him a future outside of fighting. How fortunate for him.

That hurt her the most, she was sure of it. Lee still tried to make time for her, but Neji, who had been far closer to her than Lee, didn't even condescend to tell her that he had better things to do himself. He left those orders to some stranger.

It was all very confusing, Tenten's feelings for Neji. She was more than content to have him as a friend, as they had been for several years. But that fine line between platonic friendship and deep attraction had been broken years ago.

She remembers laying in bed after a particularly gritty mission. She was slightly injured, and Neji had to carry her to a nearby safe haven. All of her body seemed to react to her flesh pressed against his. As she laid in bed thinking about how strange she felt, chills broke out about her body.

Vividly, she remembers her eyes fluttering closed and her own hands brushed over her sensitive flesh, though they didn't feel like her hands, they felt like his. _His hands_ gently rubbed and teased her hardened nipples. _His hands _reached under her covers to ease the throbbing between her legs. When the pleasure became too much for her and she climaxed, it was _his name _on her lips.

The following morning, Tenten showered under scalding water, completely ashamed and embarrassed. Regardless, she was somehow able to look him in the eye the next time they trained together. She hadn't acted on those thoughts for years, though sometimes Neji crept into her dreams, and stripped away her abject despair, and her clothes, at least for a few hours before she woke up.

She missed him, yes. But if he was too busy to see her, he was too busy.

Tenten was naturally inquisitive, though, she wanted to know all about her former teammates and the lives they were leading. But while they could spin stories about the goings-on in their lives, she could only tell them that, what? She hadn't had a mission in a year, she lived alone.

She laid in her bed at night and tried to weigh her rather limited options. Her father died when she was still a child and she never knew her mother. From what her father told her, Tenten's mother was an ambitious woman that loved dance more than anything. He never spoke ill of her even though Tenten tended to resent her.

Perhaps that would be something she could do; find her mother, speak with her for a bit.

Tenten didn't have any reason to stay in Konoha, there was nothing for her here. She could at least travel and try to find her purpose, as there had to be more to her life than just being a nameless fighter in someone else's war.

* * *

"What! No! You can't leave, Tenten. What'll we do without you?!"

Ino had, of the three women Tenten had told about her plans, been the one to make a big fuss about her decision.

She had, for once, taken Hinata's invitation to join her for lunch with Sakura and Ino. Tenten, proud that she had something to talk about, for once, accepted the opportunity, dressed nicer than usual, and met them at a small outdoor restaurant.

Ino and Hinata compared their husbands, giggling madly in false exasperation. They then turned their attention to Sakura, who had been engaged for only a few weeks, and gave her raunchy, hilarious advice. When it was Tenten's turn for their attention, they asked her what she had been doing, since they hadn't heard from her in such a long time.

That was when she told them that she would be leaving the village for a while and Ino reacted as expected.

"It means a lot to me that I'll be missed, but I've made up my mind," Tenten explained with a soft smile on her face.

"Why are you leaving? Is it a mission or do you just want to travel?" Hinata asked taking a sip of tea. The other two women also gave her questioning looks.

Tenten sighed softly. "No, I'm not going on a mission. I want to find my mother. I never got to know her, so I hope to maybe talk to her now. After that, I'll travel."

Ino tapped her fingers on the table thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose that makes sense. When are you leaving?"

"I'm going to give myself a few months to gather information about her first. Once I have a solid lead on where she might live, I'll go. We'll have plenty of time to spend together before I leave, and besides, I'm not leave Konoha for good." Tenten winked playfully. "I'll definitely come back in time for Sakura's wedding."

The other three laughed and turned their attention to Sakura, who blushed and tried to deflect the attention from herself.

When they had finished lunch, Ino insisted on extending the visit for at least another hour by ordering dessert and tea.

While Tenten was savoring the most delightful dumpling, Hinata gasped into her tea and looked at Tenten foolishly.

"I'm sorry, Tenten, I completely forgot to say this earlier. Neji asked about you."

Tenten held back a bitter scoff and instead raised an eyebrow at Hinata's admission. "Did he?" she asked dismissively.

Hinata nodded. "When I told him that I was going to be seeing you today, he mentioned that you had not spoken for a long time."

Tenten smiled wryly. "I know Neji is very busy."

Hinata flushed at the blatant sarcasm and murmured, "Neji has taken on a lot of responsibilities since I married Naruto, but I know he'd want to see you. You were such good friends." Tenten couldn't help but frown a bit. If that was the case, then why wouldn't he just come and see her? He knew where she lived.

"I tried to visit him a few times," Tenten admitted, "but, I was told that he was predisposed and I didn't want to insist."

Ino scoffed. "Please! If I wanted to visit Choji and someone said they were busy I'd just pop in and apologize later."

Tenten chuckled softly with Sakura and Hinata smiled. "Neji is never busy in the afternoon before sunset. You should go to the Hyuga compound then. I know some of my family members can be a little stuffy, but if you mention that you're friends I'm sure that people will be a bit more welcoming," she assured.

She had wanted to talk to Neji many times over the year and if Hinata was sure that he had the time to talk to her, then there was no reason for Tenten to not take advantage of the opportunity.

"Thanks for letting me know, Hinata," Tenten said eventually, "I'll check in on him in a few days."

* * *

Takara was her name.

That was the only name she went by, apparently, and it also serves as the stage name by which she was known all throughout the Land of Fire.

Tenten stared numbly at the various articles reviewing all of the plays her mother, Takara, participated in. _Best Odori Dancer of Our Generation; Takara, The Truest Treasure of the Land of Fire; Kabuki Revival Impossible without Talents of Takara._

It was all so fascinating and yet, Tenten could make no real connection to this woman, who she knew was her mother. In all of the pictures of Takara, she was in full kabuki attire, so she bore no resemblance to Tenten, as far as she knew. Under the make-up, they were probably identical, since Tenten looked nothing like her father, who had inky black hair and forest green eyes.

As she stared at these pictures and article clippings, all Tenten felt was something short of contempt and utter confusion. She couldn't bring herself to understand how this woman could exist, knowing that she was rich and famous and yet had nothing to do with her daughter.

According to her sources, Takara lived relatively close to Konoha, in a small town, maybe three days away, that was known to be a city of pure entertainment. There were several theaters, casinos, bathhouses and brothels in the city, and most people went there to celebrate weddings, host parties or act wantonly for fun.

Despite the fact that Tenten felt turned off at the thought of meeting this woman, she knew that this was something that she simply had to do.

Tenten slowly rubbed her aching temples and placed all of the articles and pictures in a drawer in her living room. There was not point to fretting too much about this. She knew where Takara was, so now the difficult part would be building up the courage to actually make the journey to meet her.

With that resolve, Tenten looked outside and noticed that it was still daylight outside, stretched and decided to clear her head by taking a walk.

It was warm and slightly windy, but Tenten was too flustered to acknowledge what a beautiful day it was. She didn't even know where she was walking, her feet just pulled her without much direction.

Eventually, she put all thoughts of Takara from her mind and looked around to get her bearings. She noticed that she was rather close to the Hyuga compound and found a strange sense of comfort as she walked closer to the estate.

Tenten approached, her mood going from numb to hopeful, and knocked slowly. A young, well-dressed man opened the door. He bowed and said, "Welcome. Is there something I can do for you?" The words were off of her tongue before she could even rethink them.

"I'm here to see Neji. We're old friends and I just thought I'd visit." The man nodded and stepped inside the estate for a moment, begging her pardon, then quickly returned.

"Please, come inside. I will show you to his chambers."

Some self-hating, dark side of Tenten's personality stabbed the notion into her that she should leave, that Neji wouldn't possibly want to see her, that there were other things she could be doing.

And for the first time since the end of the war, when these feelings were most prevalent, Tenten ignored these thoughts.

"Thank you," she said offering a smile to the man, as she stepped into the estate, no qualms entering her mind at all.

* * *

**_Ok,what did you guys think?_**

**_I'm really excited for this fanfic, so I hope you're enjoying it too._**

**_Please Tell Me If You Liked It!_**

**_Review Below!_**

**_Chapter 2: The Moon-Waxing  
Tenten and Neji speak for the first time in over a year. What do they talk about? What revelations are made?_**


	2. Waxing

_**So, I'm really happy with the feedback I've gotten so far.**_

_**Thank you for reviewing:**_

_**Aquarius Galaxy  
Guest no. 1  
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NarutoShippings**_

_**Please Enjoy, Guys!**_

* * *

**Chapter 2- The Moon: Waxing**

* * *

Tenten had only been in the Hyuga compound once in her life. She and Lee went to the compound to find Neji, who they discovered was ill, and they were invited to use the Hyuga family dojo instead of leaving to train.

The estate was eerily colorless, with stark white walls and nothing adding any life to the place. There was no art or pictures adorning the walls. No foliage hidden in the corner. Even the people that walked around the house were dressed stiflingly and seemed to refuse to speak unless spoken to. Tenten remembered an ironically funny moment of clarity. It was so obvious why Neji was so standoffish and cold; nearly _everyone _in the house was that way.

She had to, unfortunately, learn that his father's death had also affected his personality greatly.

She wanted to tell him that she knew how it felt to lose a father so young; that if he ever needed to talk to her about it, she would be there.

There was a moment, when they were in the middle of their second chunin exam when Tenten told Neji that her father died. She was struck with a heavy fever and babbled incessantly throughout the whole experience and she cried like a baby about her father. Neji sat there quietly, he never said a word, actually, patting her head with a cool towel.

When she felt better, several days later, she apologized for whatever she said to him. Instead of indifferently accepting her apology, he looked straight at her and said, "Your father, what was his name?" She blinked, a bit confused. "Satoru," she replied, her voice barely a whisper.

He simply nodded and murmured a soft, so soft she could barely hear it, prayer of loss. She couldn't, that was how affected she was by his actions. They never spoke of that moment, but they didn't need to.

The manor was still an barren as a desert, with nothing to make it seem like a home. The man that graciously let Tenten inside walked quickly, weaving through crowds of people , to lead her to Neji's private rooms. He told her, in mumbles, that Neji liked to do his work for the family in complete privacy, which Tenten smiled at hearing, as it was so like him.

The man left her alone in the large, blank office and explained that "Lord Neji" would return shortly and to make herself comfortable. Never one to simply sit around in an unfamiliar place, Tenten walked slowly around the room, gazing at the small bits of decoration adorning the walls.

There were a few paintings depicting soft, pastel koi ponds and bamboo forests. There was a large plaque hanging against the parallel wall that stated what Tenten assumed was his family's creed.

_"We strive for complete balance,_  
_for beauteous sight we have been granted,_  
_by the Sun, source of our rotation."_

Tenten read it twice, her head slightly cocked to the side. She could never understand how these major clans held these rather cryptic words so close to them. As she started to read the words over again, she heard the door slide open, and despite herself, her stomach flipped in something akin to nervousness.

She quickly plastered a smile on her face and turned. Neji stood in the threshold, his figure something very familiar and yet so different, almost intimidating. He was _always_ tall, but he seemed leagues high now. He was _always _handsome, but his face seemed like something from those paintings on his walls. He was draped from head to toe in silk, his kimono draped to show his lean figure, his haori embellished to make his shoulders seem broader. His robes were various, smokey shades of white and grey. His dark hair was still long and loose and, despite the fact that he had not gone on a mission in the past year either, he still wore his Konoha headband.

Tenten held back the urge to look down at her own clothes in disgust. Before she could do that, Neji spoke. "You look the same," he murmured, a bit stiffly. Tenten pursed her lips. "Well, not all of us can be dressed in such beautiful silk," she nearly snapped, but quickly changed her tone from abrasive to slightly teasing.

Neji, in all his regalia, took a few uncomfortable steps toward her. "Are you upset with me? You seem hostile." Tenten felt a flush form on her cheeks. "We haven't spoken nearly enough for me to be mad at you," she said through gritted teeth.

His eyes seemed to narrow knowingly. He sat and motioned for her to be seated as well, which she did, a table between them. When she was comfortable, Neji murmured, "You feel like I've neglected you." Tenten tossed a glare at him, her jaw fighting to drop, her mind forcing her not too. "It's not that-"

"That wasn't a question. It was an observation," he said, the slightest smirk on his lips. Tenten inwardly seethed. He would do things like this all the time when they were younger; always charmingly pulling the rug out from under her. He only showed that side of himself to her though, and she was always flattered to know that.

Now, she was furious, among other feelings, but mostly furious.

"Funny. Very funny. You've gone and bought yourself a sense of humor in the past year. Congratulations." Tenten folded her arms, but then quickly unfolded them, her body breaking out into fidgets. Neji watched her, which was unnerving and exciting, before saying, "It has been difficult adjusting to life after the war. This does not, however, excuse that I have been a bad friend to you."

Her body finally seemed to be at ease and all she could do was stare back at him, his face hard and eyes earnest. Tenten softened and reached out to take his hand. "Look, Neji, you don't have to feel bad or anything. I think... I think I needed this time by myself." He nodded in understanding. "How have you been then?"

Tenten shook her head absent-mindedly. "I have nothing to say for myself. I've been numb this entire year. I know you must miss being a ninja, but at least you're doing something productive; I lost everything. Everything. I have no job and no purpose."

"You have a purpose," Neji said abruptly. Tenten sighed deeply and nearly whispered, "What is it, then? I can't see it."

The silence that followed was quick, but stifling and heavy, like the weight of the next words out of his lips. "My sight is better than yours."

Tenten gave him a sharp glare, her brows furrowed with quick anger. "What's is that supposed to mean?" Neji stared at her calmly. "I can see you better than you can see yourself. That's all I meant."

"That's your problem, Neji; you think you know everything," she snapped, her body shooting in a standing position as she leaned toward him menacingly. "Guess what; you know _nothing_ about me. How dare you even imply that you know-"

"Do not insult me that way. Just because you're upset with me for this past year does not mean that you can simply dismiss our friendship," he replied, his mask of indifference quickly fading into smoldering anger as he towered over her. "I have given you more trust than I have given any person."

Tenten folded her arms and scoffed. "I know I should be very grateful to even be in the presence of Neji Hyuga." She watched his face harden coldly and she felt her heart jump at how upset he looked so suddenly. Tenten adverted her eyes and felt increasingly saddened by how this conversation turned.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, "I don't know what came over me. I..." Neji came around the table and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders. "You've had a difficult year, I know that, but, you must remember that you've been through much worse than this. You've been trained to handle stressful situations and you've shown great proficiency in such endeavors. You are strong, Tenten, you can overcome this."

She looked back up at him and smiled slightly. "I've missed your sagely wisdom." Neji's face softened and his lips curled gently. "I must also apologize. I should have reached out to you sooner." Tenten shrugged in good nature. "Better late than never, right?"

She suddenly felt very warm and flustered. Her mind kept telling her to move away from him but she felt the urge to deepen their contact. He was close enough that she could smell whatever perfumed soaps he used to bathe and admire the intricate embroidery on his beautiful robes. She knew her face was flushed, which only embarrassed her more.

"Well, um, thanks again, Neji," she blurted out awkwardly, while craning her neck to give him a peck on the cheek. She noticed a confused look in his eyes as she started to pull away. He didn't let her, however, and clasped his hands around her waist, effectively pinning her against him.

Tenten felt so _right _against him. They fit together perfectly; he was warm and rough but comforting. Under the softness of his silk robes, she could feel the drumming hardness of his chest and his heartbeat was almost melodic. His right hand went slowly up her back in a soothing manner that was hot against her skin.

She felt emboldened, like a rush of flames were coursing through her veins.

She gently took his face in her hands and pulled him toward her, and pressed her lips against his. It all happened so quickly; the kiss was very one-sided to start, then Neji cupped her cheek to deepen the kiss, she pressed her tongue against his, he pinned her to an adjacent wall, she moaned, he groaned and the kiss was broken.

For mere seconds.

Neji found her lips again after a quick breath and Tenten took her time to be surprised, then returned the kiss in full force. He was a passionate kisser, and even Tenten would have assumed that Neji would show indifference in everything. There was nothing impassive about what they were doing now.

She could have stayed entwined with him like this for hours. Her hands were beginning to travel across his chest when there was a soft knock on the door. Neji pulled away from her with a deep sigh, rested his forehead against hers and eventually walked to the door.

Tenten collected her breath as he spoke softly with whoever was at the door. She should have felt a bit more flustered, but she felt a rush; she was more than excited to continue what they started. After a few minutes Neji walked back over to her and cupped her shoulders, gently caressing each of them, all of his earlier passion gone.

"Duty calls?" Tenten half joked, mostly disappointed. When he nodded in response, Tenten couldn't help but sigh and shrug out of his grip. She felt deflated, like all the momentum she felt moments ago had been forced out of her and thrown away.

She noted the frown on Neji's face and slowly started to regret leaving her house and daring to visit him. "You are always welcome here, Tenten," he murmured sincerely, "If you would like to... continue this conversation at a later date, please feel free to come by."

Tenten couldn't help but laugh gently, sarcastically. "Oh, no no no, Neji. I don't chase."

"You don't chase?" he mumbled, his eyes narrowing. Tenten shook her head quickly, an infernal grin on her slightly swollen lips. If she knew what her challenging comments were doing to him she would have been a bit nicer, but she had always enjoyed instigating him.

He tersely took her by the hips and pulled her toward him. She playfully pushed at him and eventually looped her arms around his neck, her fingers entwining in his hair. "Fine," he said shortly, his lips pecking at her cheeks, "Then come and see me tonight." Tenten giggled and suppressed a moan when he began to gently suck on the underside of her jaw.

"I don't take orders either," she teased, her laugh fading into a harsh sigh as he nipped along her neck.

He pulled away from her suddenly and straightened his robes. Tenten stared at him in disbelief. "What are-"

"If you don't wish to adhere to my requests, then you remain in control of the field. The next move is yours," he said, a smug smirk gracing his features. Tenten wanted to be furious but her arousal was completely overpowering. Neji offered her a final smoldering look and left the room quietly.

Tenten eventually left after several minutes of stunned silence. When she has nearly home, she couldn't suppress the wide smile on her lips.

_The move is mine? He has no idea what kind of game he started..._

* * *

_**Alright, how'd you guys like it?**_

_**Like I said, I'm really excited for you guys to see where this goes.**_

_**If I missed you in the shout-out section, I apologize, you will be acknowledged in chapter 3  
**_

_**I do appreciate every kind of feedback, so please, REVIEW**_

_**Chapter 3- The Moon: Full  
If you liked the tension in chapter 2, you'll love the "ten"sion here. (M for a reason, folks)**_


	3. Full

_**Wow, 14 REVIEWS ALREADY.**_

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_**I know its been a while, but I've been working to publish my second novel and that went great, so now I'll be back on schedule.**_

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_**Love You Guys**_

_**Please Enjoy.**_

* * *

**Chapter 3- The Moon: Full**

* * *

The night air was cool. Her skin was pink and flushed, and the wind that whipped by gave her goosebumps and made her shiver. She smelled of musk, soap, sweat and rain, as it drizzled on her slowly, each drop seeming to sting as it hit her skin.

She didn't mind the rain. In fact it felt good. She felt cleansed, as if all the water was washing away all the grime she had accumulated through her mistakes.

How is it that her world could be swept out from under her in just a few hours?

She felt a mixture of elation and anxiety after her visit with Neji. For the first time since the end of the war her mind was on something other than her uselessness and discardability.

Tenten left the Hyuga compound with an obvious jubilance in her step. She was glad she didn't run into any of her friends on her way home because she didn't know what she'd explain to them after what had just occurred between her and Neji. In fact, _she_ couldn't really explain it.

Neji had always been someone that was incredibly difficult to read. He'd been that way since they were young. It was odd to try and understand his actions when he showed his emotions, even small ones like frustration and smugness. To see him succumb to something like passion was confusing to say the least.

It was confusing but thrilling; mystifying but tantalizing.

She felt her stomach flutter just thinking about how warm his lips were; any dream she had about him in the past was nothing compared to his actual presence. He was strangely graceful yet domineering; she could tell that he wanted to have things done his way.

Tenten bit her lip to conceal an impish grin. If he did insist on having control, she'd fight that. She enjoyed ruffling his feathers as it pulled actions out of him that he kept under strict control.

Despite the fact that she asserted that she wouldn't chase after him, Tenten felt she had to return to the compound. Neji never seemed like the type of man to play stupid games. His aloofness was limited to treating other people poorly. If she went to him for solace, she knew she wouldn't regret it.

So she did.

* * *

It was well after sundown when she arrived at the Hyuga compound. Luckily, one of his younger cousins was sneaking out just as she wanted to go inside. They made the silent agreement that Tenten being allowed entrance meant she'd keep whatever tryst the kid was going on between them.

The compound was quiet and nearly empty so her walk to Neji's chambers was brisk. Despite this, her stomach flipped anxiously though her mind was blank and at ease. Tenten was at his door all too soon, and knocking on it absent-mindedly soon after.

The door slid open and Tenten inhaled sharply, half of her wanted to run home before she embarrassed herself and the other half building the nerve to stay.

Neji stared down at her, his eyes holding amusement and surprise. He simply looked at her and said nothing for several moments. Tenten folded her arms in slight annoyance. "Are you going to let me in or not?" she snapped.

He raised his eyebrows feigning confusion. "I wasn't expecting you to come," he murmured. Something in his tone made Tenten blush; he was being sarcastic and playfully conceited. For whatever reason, she enjoyed it.

"Maybe I wanted to surprise you," she countered flimsily. Neji leaned against the threshold and studied her. "You did surprise me," he said. "Earlier." Her blush deepened and she placed her hands on her hips. "You couldn't have been too shocked. You did kiss me back."

He gave her and unreasonable look but stepped aside and allowed her entrance. Once the door was closed, he turned to face her. "When you did what you did this afternoon, I was... taken aback to say the least," Neji admitted. Tenten felt her stomach flip; this was it, he had regrets, she'd come back here fore nothing.

"You don't have to explain yourself," she interrupted. "We're friends and I crossed a boundary." She noticed him tense slightly, which usually meant he was annoyed. "Just because you crossed some boundary does not mean that my actions were any more appropriate," he stated with clenched teeth.

Tenten took a sharp breath. "You did it because–"

"I did it because I wanted to. I could have prattled about how sorry I was for the past year but I found a better way; at least, I thought it was better.," he said his voice softening. He approached her slowly and took her hands. "If you regret happened, then I apologize for exacerbating the situation."

"I don't regret it," Tenten assured quickly. She felt the strangest longing to tell him about how she'd craved what they did together for years now. "In fact, I," she swallowed and looked away from him. "Tell me," he whispered, his hands slowly massaging hers, his presence nearly overwhelming.

While the words were at the forefront of her mind, she couldn't bring her self to speak them. Her actions could tell him better than her stumbling over senseless words.

She slowly brought her hands to his face and pulled him into a gentle kiss. His hands circled around her waist and he pulled her closer. Her tongue lightly grazed over his lower lip and he gently sucked it. Tenten shuddered at the sensation and felt her knees buckle. He steadied her against him and continued the wet kiss while pinning her to a nearby wall.

His kiss continued along her jaw, while he quickly undid the buttons on her high collar down to the tops of her breasts. From there, he trailed his tongue down her neck. Tenten rested her head against the wall and moaned, her hands working to free him from his ornate robes. She knew she shouldn't pull so roughly on such beautiful silk, but at the moment, she didn't care. His outer robe fell to the floor easily, followed by another silk undershirt.

She eyed his firm muscles hungrily and caressed his broad chest and torso curiously. He groaned against her neck and found her lips once more, his fingers undoing the rest of the buttons on her shirt.

Her breasts were loosely bound and therefore easy to remove. As Neji went to work removing the binding, Tenten raised her hands above her head and quickly unpinned her two buns. She blushed, slightly embarrassed, when Neji ignored her chest to touch her hair and kiss her again.

He eventually tossed her bindings to the floor and tentatively moved his hands over her mounds. She gasped, surprised at how arousing it was to have his warm hands tease her a bit. He ran his thumbs over her nipples once; at hearing her sharp moan, he repeated the action to her pleasure.

The pleasure built between her legs and she reached to give him the same enjoyment she felt. She found his waistline and reached inside his pants to find him there, hard and warm.

Neji hissed and let her play with him. Tenten smiled impishly and ran her fingers along the length of him, them gently enclosed her hand around him, Neji's breathing was labored and erratic, though somehow he found the will to remove her hands from his length and pull down the baggy pants she was wearing.

Tenten momentarily felt a bit shy, though the feeling only lasted seconds, and was replaced with excitement when Neji lifted her, her legs wrapped around his waist, and carried her to his bed in the next room.

The space was decorated similarly to his office space, though the bed was covered with ornate blankets and pillows and was large enough to fit several people.

He sat her on the bed and removed his own pants. Tenten licked her lips in anticipation and eagerly kissed him when he joined her on the bed. His body was pressed against her own and the room seemed to be sweltering. Neji broke their kiss, breathless, and kissed from her neck, down to her breasts.

He took a nipple into his mouth and fondled the other with his hand. He didn't stay there long, however, and continued to travel down her body. He gingerly positioned himself between her legs and placed one of her knees over his broad shoulder.

Tenten quickly eased herself up on her elbows and gasped, "Wait. No one's ever–"

Her words of protest became a strained moan as Neji's tongue explored her folds. She threw her head back and collapsed against the bed, her breathing frantic. She'd never felt like this before. Sure she'd explored herself before, but it never felt like this.

"Neji, please," she sighed. "Higher."

He obliged, and with one stroke of his tongue, she climaxed, a scream nearly pulling itself from her throat.

Tenten struggled to catch her breath as Neji climbed up her body. She pulled him in for a quick kiss and rolled so that she and laying on top of his chest. She smiled at the perplexed look on his face and tightly straddled his waist.

While he looked vaguely annoyed with her actions, Tenten knew he'd enjoy this. She felt for his manhood and brought it to her core, shifted her hips and let him completely fill her. "Oh," she moaned, the feeling of him inside her new but fantastic. Neji's eyes were shut, but when they opened he roughly thrust up into her.

Tenten moaned again and quickly moved up and down against him. She pressed her hands against his chest for additional support while he gripped her hips and softly grunted with each thrust.

She felt her pleasure building and knew she wouldn't last much longer. The pressure built in her center snapped and this time she did scream, his name a desperate cry on her lips.

Neji took the opportunity to adjust so he was hovering over her once more and continued to move inside her. Tenten lopped her arms around his neck and kissed along his jaw and down his neck. He murmured her name into her ear and found her lips as he reached his own peak.

She listened to his ragged breathing as Neji pulled out of her and rolled onto his back. Tenten snuggled against him and placed her head on his chest and her put a strong arm around her waist.

"Hmm," she whispered contently, "That was..." She sighed and propped herself on her elbow to kiss him on the cheek. Neji pivoted and kissed her lips, the kiss slowly turning passionate and heavy.

Neji broke the kiss gently and caressed her cheek. "I know you needed this," he murmured and pressed his lips on her forehead.

The words he said, however, made the hairs on her neck stand.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked with a nervous laugh. Neji looked down at her, puzzled. "What?"

Tenten pulled away from him and suddenly felt cold and exposed. "I just want to know what you meant by what you said."

Neji sat up, his eyes cool and cautious. "Don't be this way," he said softly. Tenten frowned, her aggravation building. "If you would just do what I asked, we wouldn't have a problem."

"It seems like you want whatever I said to be horrible, when it wasn't," he replied.

Tenten drew herself up. "You think I need this," she said motioning to him and the bed. "Well, I don't. I never have."

"Then let me explain–"

Tenten barely heard him. She was too busy scrambling to collect her clothes. She couldn't put into words why she was so upset, but she was. Neji eventually stood behind her as she dressed.

"You're being ridiculous," he said. "You should know that I never meant to insult you." He gently touched her bare shoulder and murmured, "Now, please, stay with me tonight."

"No! I– I don't _need_ or want your pity. I know that's all this was for you, so just leave me alone."

Tenten turned to exit, but Neji gripped her arm and glared at her angrily. "Don't make me out to be this way," he spat. "As I said this afternoon, I know this year has been hard for you, but don't take that out on me."

She pulled away from him furiously. "Why shouldn't I?! You didn't give a damn about me before today. You didn't care to reach out and find me and see if I was okay. You were the only person I could trust and yet you acted like I didn't exist until today."

She didn't look at him, but when Neji spoke, his voice was soft though unreadable. "I can't defend my actions. But if you would allow me to explain–"

"No. I don't need your explanation," she muttered, her voice hoarse. Her throat was throbbing and she felt like crying. She hadn't cried since her father died.

Tenten's feet were heavy when she moved to leave again.

This time he didn't stop her.

* * *

The rain was cool and gentle when she left the Hyuga compound. It was pelting her though, when she neared her home.

She didn't cry, though she desperately wanted to. She needed to expel some feeling, but all of her emotions felt distant. By the time she made it home, she didn't have the wherewithal to dry herself or change out of her clothes.

Laying on her bed felt like lying on needles and she willed herself to stay awake because she knew she'd dream of Neji if she slept.

She had a few merciful weeks where she felt that her life had purpose. She felt like she was meant to travel and to learn. She was meant to find her mother. For a few hours, Neji made her feel wanted and even cherished.

If only he didn't feel obligated to comfort her.

Pity.

She'd rather be stabbed with hundreds of blades before ever feel pitied again. Especially pitied by someone she respected and admired.

She knew it was unlikely, but she knew she couldn't bear to look at him again. Not after what they shared together and what it all subsequently meant.

Finding Takara would keep her progressing forward and take her mind off of Konoha for a while.

She would leave in the morning.

She had too.

* * *

_**Well...**_

_**What d'you think?**_

_**Please Review!**_

_**Thanks Guys!**_


	4. New

_**I am really enjoying writing this.**_

_**I know some people were really sad after the last chapter.**_

_**Yeah... It doesn't get happier here...**_

* * *

**_Chapter 4- The Moon: New_**

* * *

Tenten had been walking with seventy pounds of clothes and weapons on her back for seven hours now. She left her apartment before the sun rose and departed for Shukuba Town. Her hair was tied up in her usual two buns, though they were a bit unkempt and loose.

She didn't sleep the night before and instead focused on packing everything she didn't want to leave behind, such as some one-of-a-kind blades she owned, and gathering some spare money for shelter and food. After showering and changing into some fresh clothes, a short, light blue kimono and baggy dark blue pants, she heaved her bag on her back and left the village.

Perhaps Tenten should have felt more upset about leaving home, but Konoha hadn't felt like home since she left for the war. Home is were she felt grounded and loved. In the village she felt like she floated through her days and that people could care less about her. They all had their own lives and she had no right to force herself in them.

Especially Neji's.

She shook her head roughly at the thought of him. Tenten had been trying to prove her worth her entire life, she wanted to prove that her merits would not be lessened because of her sex. And yet she succumbed to the one flaw that could be used against her.

_A shinobi must never show weakness..._

But she wasn't a shinobi any longer, was she, though she was still a woman. Disillusioned, she thought about a poem she heard a woman sing once.

Tenten was only nine, her father had died maybe a week prior, and she walked around the village heartbroken and alone. In front of a bathhouse, a woman sat playing a shamisen sadly. Her face was smeared with heavy make-up and her kimono was soiled and threadbare.

The woman then sang a song so sad and haunting, Tenten knew she'd never forget it.

_Hana no iro wa._  
_Utsurinikeri na_  
_itazura ni_  
_wa ga mi yo ni furu_  
_nagame seshi ma ni_

It was then Tenten decided she would never be like that woman. She would overcome whatever adversaries she faced and be strong. She would be remembered; a name kept alive in history.

The song came back to her as she walked through the gates of Konoha. "A life in vain," Tenten murmured, "My looks, talents faded like these cherry blossoms paling in the endless rains that I gaze out upon, alone."

* * *

The road to Shukuba was quiet,with only a few people passing her by. She walked with an old man for a while, who offered her a ride on his cart until they reached a fork in the road. He planned on selling spices in an entirely different country, and gave Tenten the most disapproving look when she told him she was going to Shukuba.

She arrived when it was nearly noon and immediately hated the city. As soon as she walked through the gates she was nearly run down by a man carrying a rich couple in his cart, groped by drunken men and women that lingered on the side of the road and mugged by a twelve year old who cried when she twisted his arm behind his back.

Konoha was a large village, with its fair share of annoying city-dwellers, but it was nothing like this city. It smelled like alcohol and cigars and the only sound in the air was the ringing of slot machines. Prostitutes lined the streets dressed like geishas and street vendors argued with their customers.

After scouting the city, Tenten decided on a quiet inn far away from the main activity in the city. It wasn't too expensive, clean, and relatively close to the Shukuba Kabuki Theater.

She settled in her room and unpacked, her mind frazzled. She'd left home so abruptly she didn't plan how she'd contact Takara. It couldn't be as easy as simply walking to the theater and asking to speak with her, could it?

Regardless, Tenten changed her clothes again, to something the didn't stink of a day's sweat. She fixed her hair so her buns were neater and left the inn towards the theater.

She was at the entrance after a few minutes. Tenten gazed about the large gathering hall in slight awe. Draperies of red silk hung from the rafters and the wall were adorned with painting of the theater's most famous performances. It was beautiful architecture with simple, but equally lovely decor.

"What are you doing in here?"

Tenten turned at the shrill voice behind her and locked eyes with young woman with golden blond hair dressed in a fancy red kimono.

"Excuse me," Tenten bowed politely, "I don't mean to intrude." The woman scowled. "Well you are. The next performance isn't for five months, you know. Our actors need complete privacy from the public."

"I'm not trying to disrupt you," Tenten assured. "I only wanted to speak with Takara."

The woman gave her a blank look then chuckled and finally broke into sputtering, mocking laughter. "What makes you think that you can just request to speak with our leading actress? She is rehearsing, first of all. Second of all, I'm sure she has no interest in talking to you."

Tenten frowned and felt her jaw clench. But she didn't get too annoyed. She was a shinobi, and trained to sneak into fortified palaces. She could get past this rude woman.

"You don't seem to understand. I'm from Konoha." Tenten watched the woman's face brighten with satisfaction . "I've traveled here to persuade your troupe to come perform in our village."

The woman approached her with a warm, schmoozing smile. "Oh, please excuse me. I didn't know you were an agent. Most of the agents were get are men. Let me see if she is in her dressing room. I'll be back soon."

Once she was out of earshot, Tenten couldn't help but laugh. She didn't think the lie would work so easily. She assumed the woman would have her speak to the director, and she'd meet Takara through him. Really, what kind of agent talked to a performer about taking a show to a village and not the director or owner of the troupe.

Tenten waited patiently for several minutes and collected her thoughts. She had decided while she walked to the theater to be as kind and calm as possible despite how uncomfortable this meeting may be. Her stomach was in knots, so she used structured breathing to calm down.

As she inhaled, she had a huge urge to raise her arms and slowly pose, as she used to do after she sparred. Her father told her that he was taught the slow movements when he was young, as he was highly temperamental, the poses helped him relax. Instead she closed her eyes and imagined she was in a field somewhere, decompressing after intensive training. It was memory-like and comforting.

"Your breathing is too shallow," Neji's voice told her. In her mind they were young again. They'd just met, in fact. "I know how to breath," she had retorted. "Fixing your posture will make your breathing less rapid," he said coldly. "Well, you focus too hard on your breathing. Relax, why don't you?" she spat back.

"Being lax leads to forgetfulness, and I cannot afford to forget," he said, so gloomily that it surprised her that someone so young was in such abject despair. "You can't afford to forget what?" she asked, despite herself.

In reality though, she was still in the theater, and the blond was speaking to her."Takara would be delighted to speak with you," the blond told her. Tenten shook out of her reverie and gave her a professional smile. "Thank you. Where can I find her?"

"Takara is in her dressing room on the third floor. There are stairs down the hall that lead backstage. Take the stair up and find the door at the end of the hall with her name on it. I'd take you myself, but I have some things to attend to."

Tenten nodded. "I think I can remember," she lied. Of course she'd remember, but the less attention she could draw to herself the better.

The blond tottered off then, the heels of her sandals echoing in the hall.

Tenten departed for the dressing rooms, the halls strangely empty, despite that the troupe was already rehearsing for their next performance. She climbed three steep stories and walked down a long hall, names of the actors on each of the doors. At the very end of the hall there was a room with double doors and Takara's name gilded on the doors in gold.

She stared at the closed doors for a while, her heart in her throat.

_I can do this_, she thought. But part of her felt like running. The same part of her that wanted to stay in Konoha. The same part that wished she'd stayed with Neji the night before.

Tenten hated that part of herself. It was the side of her that wanted her to surrender herself to her deepest emotions, feelings she had long since thrown away in her quest to become the best kunoichi she could be.

_A shinobi must never show weakness..._

And despite not being a shinobi any longer, she held onto that rule. It was the only thing motivating her to knock on the door.

So she did.

* * *

_**End of Part 1: The Moon.**_

_**Next Chapter:**_  
_**Part 2, Chapter 5- The Star: Red**_

_**A life in vain.**_  
_**My looks, talents faded**_  
_**like these cherry blossoms**_  
_**paling in the endless rains**_  
_**that I gaze out upon, alone.**_

_**Yeah, this completely ironic poem was written by one of the Six Poetic Geniuses of Japan, Ono no Komachi. **_

_**I would highly recommend reading more of her poems if you can find them.**_

_**See you guys in part 2!**_

_**Please Review!**_


	5. Red

_**Yeah, one part down, two to go.**_

_**A few people asked me to slow down a bit.**_

_**So, in order to be a better story-teller, I choose to slow down a bit.**_

_**Guess what guys, it only gets better!**_

_**Alright, let's get to it.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

_**Part 2**_  
_**Chapter 5- The Star: Red**_

* * *

Tenten knocked on Takara's door and counted her heartbeats as she waited for the door to open. She held on to whatever strength that still existed inside of her. It was the only thing left to sustain her, and keep her from fleeing into nothingness, never to return to normal society. But, that kind of thinking was insane. She'd faced legions of shinobi that wanted her dead; she could face her mother. Hopefully.

"Give me a moment," said a lofty, sing-song voice from behind the door.

_That's her voice?_ Tenten thought with confusion, excitement, fear and interest. Frantically, Tenten straightened her robes and tried to feel a bit more presentable. After another moment or two the door to Takara's dressing room swung open.

"Hello." Tenten stared at Takara, her mind blank. Takara stood haughtily on beautifully ornate platformed sandals. She was dressed in a flowing, crimson night robe embroidered with dragons whose sleeves touched the floor when she put her arms down. Her skin was milky and smooth, unlike Tenten who was rather swarthy by comparison. They shared similarly colored chestnut brown hair, though Takara's seemed far longer and silkier.

Her face shone with confidence- whether it was real or forced Tenten could not tell. Her lips were the same unnatural color as her gown. Finally, Tenten noticed that her eyes, which she assumed would be the same shade of brown as her own, were big and dark blue. Takara was a gorgeous woman, in looks and presence. She was intimidating and drew the eye like a work of art or a freak of nature.

"Do come in," Takara cooed in her song-like voice. "One of my assistants told me that you were an agent from Konoha. What a lovely village."

Tenten was pulled from her musings at the mention of her former home. "Yes, I'm from Konoha," Tenten murmured. "You've been there before?"

Takara motioned for Tenten to sit in a plush easy-chair. Her dressing room was lavishly decorated and seemed to function more as a small apartment since Tenten eyed an adjoining bathroom and divider hiding a futon toward the back of the room. Lanterns and candles were unlit and an enormous window was open to the forest surrounding Shukuba town.

"Oh yes, I've traveled there a few times throughout my life," Takara replied dismissively. She smiled enchantingly and rested her ring covered hand against her chin. "But never mind that. Most times the agents go straight to the director, but I'm quite flattered that-"

"Yes," Tenten interrupted, her face flushing in embarrassment. "Listen, I'm not an agent."

"Ahh," Takara sighed knowingly. "You're a desperate journalist that wants an interview. I admire your moxie."

Tenten shook her head and swallowed the lump forming in her throat with difficulty. "No- I- I thought you'd recognize me," she murmured, mostly to herself.

"You thought what? I can't hear you, dear."

_Why am I doing this? _Tenten thought suddenly. This woman clearly had a well-defined life. She was successful and happy. Who was she to disrupt this?

_Only her daughter..._

"I'm a shinobi from Konoha," Tenten finally forced out. "My name is Tenten."

Takara blinked a bit. "Well, that's an interesting name," she said politely, though her tone evoked insincere kindness.

_She doesn't even know my name,_ Tenten thought with a dark chuckle.

"Look, dear, if you're just here to tell whoever will listen that you got to speak with me, then go on and leave. I hope meeting a celebrity was as glamorous as you thought it would be," Takara snapped, the anger flashing on her face, making her look years older than she seemed to be.

Tenten stared at her, conflicting feelings jumbled in her heart and mind. "I'm your daughter," she said finally. _I have to do this. More for me than for her. I owe her nothing._

Takara's eyes widened as she gasped loudly. She covered her mouth with her hands at one moment then began fanning her face with them. Within seconds of that, she stood and flung her arms around Tenten, who instantly stiffened. Her actions were so forced and theatrical; it was hard to determine if she was being honest. Perhaps this was just her personality.

"Look, Takara, please," Tenten started, but the wind was pulled out of her as Takara tightened her embrace then let go of her.

"This is such a nice surprise. It is really so good to finally meet you, dear," Takara said as she cupped Tenten's cheeks, patted them gently and returned to her chair with a whimsical sigh.

Tenten stared at her, bemused. She still couldn't tell if Takara was being melodramatic for the sake of being melodramatic or if she was this way all the time.

"So, before I forget,would you like some tea?" Takara asked graciously. "You don't have to go through the trouble," Tenten replied hastily. Takara waved her hand nonchalantly and reached to a nearby table for a tiny silver bell. "It's no trouble at all."

A few seconds after the bell rang, a thin, red-faced boy ran into the room an bowed. "Bring us some tea. Black, I think. With lemon. Two cups," she commanded and the boy darted from the room without a word.

She turned her attention back to Tenten with a smile. "Alright, tell me about yourself. You said that you're a shinobi."

Tenten took a breath. _I'll just humor her for a bit, I guess. I'll wait to ask some questions._

"I was a shinobi. I haven't done any ninja work since the war ended," she explained.

Takara nodded with interest, though she stared down at her nails as she did so. "I'm awfully proud. It's good for girls to learn to be strong," she murmured, then looked at Tenten abruptly as if she just remembered something. "Tell me, dear, how is Satoru?"

Tenten felt her throat constrict painfully. She knew that Takara would ask about her father, but she hadn't worked out how she would tell her. It was so painful. "Um... I'm sorry to tell you this but he died." Tenten blinked back possible tears.

Takara sighed once more. "How unfortunate."

"I was nine. I was sick one day and before I knew it... he was gone."

Tenten forced her self to look at Takara as she swallowed the lump forming in her throat. Takara's bright blue eyes were shining, but tears never fell from her eyes. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "That must have been very hard for you to go through."

Tenten smiled bitterly. "No, it was easy to be an orphan in a village miles bigger than this city. It was easy to lose my father. Don't patronize me." Takara's face flushed bright red. "Look, I understand if you feel some resentment toward me, but I must be honest with you. Satoru... He isn't your father. He's mine."

Tenten felt her heart jump. Her mind was curiously blank. She tried vividly remember what he looked like; Black hair, kind green eyes, a cleanly trimmed beard. He had a few laugh lines around his eyes and mouth. She was so young when he dies that it never occurred to her that he was anything other than her father. Perhaps he meant to tell her the truth when she was older.

Despite that possibility, her childhood was still a lie. She would always love Satoru but trying to uncover and decipher the complexities of her parentage was like opening every old wound she'd ever had, wounds that had already healed, and stitching them up all over again.

"Listen," Takara murmured, "Let me explain-"

"What kind of excuse could you possibly offer me to make this right?" Tenten asked, her voice edging on a shout.

Takara sighed sharply and was silent for a few moments. "I was sixteen when I had you and I'd always wanted to dance on stage. I had many opportunities presented to me. Satoru always supported me and her offered to raise you for me while I pursued my career."

"And that's acceptable to you?" Tenten snapped. "What about your responsibility to your daughter?"

Takara scowled and rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. You were a shinobi. If you're anything like me-"

"I'm nothing like you."

"If you're anything like me, you were completely dedicated to your job. You're probably very ambitious and an exceedingly hard worker. So tell me, what would you have done if you discovered you were pregnant before the war. If you honestly think that I believe that you would trade your ambition for a child, you're silly."

Tenten stared at Takara in disbelief. "You're awful. I admit I don't know what I'd do, but ambition isn't more important than family. I needed a mother."

Takara took a breath and stood, and arms folded in front of her. "You wouldn't have wanted me as a mother, honestly," she whispered. "I know what it's like to have a parent that can't love their child. My mother was a very jealous woman, you see. She hated me because Satoru loved me and because I was talented. She never let me forget what she sacrificed to raise me. I didn't want to resent you."

"You didn't want to be your mother," Tenten murmured.

Takara cupped Tenten's shoulders. "I know that you wanted a traditional family, but I think that you were better off. And, I'm sorry that I couldn't be the mother you may have wanted. I think that now that we've met though, we can become friends."

"I- I don't know. You don't have to if you don't want to," Tenten replied her anger and sadness fading into numbness. She didn't know what she expected from Takara and yet, she was deeply disappointed.

"Don't be silly! I always hoped that when you were older we could be friends. You should stay in town for a few days," Takara said with an excited smile. "We could always use some extra stage hands and you and I could get to know each other better."

Tenten didn't have any other obligations and she wasn't keen on returning to Konoha so soon. There was so much she wasn't ready to face back home.

"Are you sure it won't be any trouble," Tenten asked. Takara's smile widened triumphantly. "I'm quite sure, dear."

* * *

Several women from across the country practiced steps choreographed by Takara every day from dawn until deep into the nighttime. Tenten watched them rehearse every night for a week. During the day, she helped construct the set for an opera. Takara tried explaining the plot to her once, but seemed like it would be difficult to follow without any speaking.

The opera was about the rivalry between goddesses Uzume and Kaminari over which of them should govern the earth; Uzume, through love and happiness or Kaminari, through strict rules. There were subplots that involved Uzume's romance with an earthly king, the king's prayers to Kaminari for military victories and Kaminari's internal struggle with war and peace.

Takara said that the opera was historically done by an all male cast and that she went the great strides to convince the owner of her troupe- who was also the director of the show- to have the female characters played by actual women. They were all afraid that the historical background of the opera would hinder their creativity and thus, stifle ticket sales. With that stipulation approved, the cast now consisted of about twenty women, with Takara as the lead, and a single man, who would play the king.

One morning, as Tenten carried several buckets of paint to the stage, Takara introduced her to the director, a tall, smiling man, with black hair and gleaming brown eyes. "Kaito, let me introduce you to my daughter, Tenten. Tenten, this is Kaito Mori, a dear old friend, owner of this theater and director of our opera."

"It's an honor to meet you," Tenten murmured politely. Kaito gave her a warm grin. "The honor is mine. Takara tells me that you'll be with us for some time."

Tenten returned the smile kindly. "Yes. I've decided to stay until the end of the opera's first week." Kaito nodded. "It will be an exciting time, surely. Your mother also told me that you are helping construct the set. You should be doing something more important, you are her daughter."

"It's really no trouble," Tenten laughed modestly. "Yes, but the set will be completed in a few days. You would have several weeks of waiting until opening night," Kaito explained. "I'm sure I'll find some way to help out," Tenten replied.

"Tenten has been a great help while you've been away, Kaito. If you give her any job, I'm sure she'll do it well," Takara said, her arm weaving around Kaito's. Tenten glanced at the pair of them knowingly, but chose not to make a comment.

The same young man that served Takara and Tenten tea on the night they met ran to the three of them frantically. "Miss Takara," he panted fearfully, "Miss Azami is outside. She says that she must return home and cannot act in the opera."

Takara's face paled and Kaito's eyes flashed with rage. Takara spoke first in frantic, angry babbles. "She can't quit! She has a leading roll! Where is she? Take me to her. Now!"

Tenten watched as Takara and Kaito stormed from the stage and into the lobby as the dancers rehearsing stopped and began to gossip among themselves. Eventually, Takara returned inside and sank into a seat.

"Is everything alright?" Tenten asked slowly. Takara stared at the stage. "No. Everything is not alright. It took us half a year to find her, you know. We needed a physically imposing girl and, yes, we had to sacrifice some steps because she was inexperienced, but she was a good fit all the same."

"Why don't you just ask one of the other girls to play Kaminari?"

"There will be auditions, I assure you. But, to have auditions weeks before we open is risky and I am not pleased. This is completely unprofessional."

"I'm sure you'll find the right dancer," Tenten replied, surprised at the sincerity in her voice.

Takara acknowledged her with a sad smile. "You're optimism is endearing. All I can do now is hope that you're right."

* * *

_**See you guys in the next chapter!**_

_**The Star: Orange**_


	6. Orange

_**Hiya folks!**_

_**I hope you're still having a great flipping time!**_

_**Please review!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 6- The Star: Orange**_

* * *

"Tenten! Bring the next girl in!" Tenten rolled her eyes and watched Takara fan herself dramatically as a dancer left the stage, tears streaming down her face. After the girl's audition, Takara called her a "plebeian amateur that danced like a burlesque chorus girl".

A dozen dancers offered to audition for the role of Kaminari. None of the girls, however, were good enough for Takara. Kaito was more forgiving, though he was also disappointed with their conundrum. If they didn't find a girl, they would have to put the play on hold and refund all of their sales.

"She was the last dancer," Tenten replied, watching her tone carefully. Takara was angry enough. "That's all?" Takara leaned back into her chair and sighed deeply. "Tell the girls that Kaito wants to rehearse, regardless of out situation. Tell him I'll be in my dressing room. I just need a moment to myself."

"Sure," Tenten replied. She almost felt bad for Takara. It was unfortunate that their performance would be delayed, but being cruel to the dancers was unnecessary. Takara glided backstage and Tenten walked to the lobby and found Kaito comforting the crying girl.

"Your mother has an acidic tongue," he commented with a wry smile. "I'm beginning to see that," Tenten said sarcastically. "She's in her room and won't be attending the rehearsal." Kaito nodded. "I expected that. Come, ladies. Let's try and forget about the auditions for a while. Yumi will lead the warm up." Kaito looked at Tenten kindly. "How would you like to watch the rehearsal with me? I like to have varying opinions of my work."

Tenten shrugged amiably. "I don't mind. I don't know much about theater, but I'll do the best I can." Kaito offered her a seat in the front row and they watched in silence for a few moments. "Have you read the script?" Kaito asked. "No, but I understand the story pretty well."

"Takara suggested simply telling the story but without Kaminari as a character." Kaito frowned. "Uzume may be the protagonist, but Kaminari is far more complex. We've had to change her character multiple times. We wanted to have her do a blade dance, you see, but no one's been trained to do the dance for many years. instead we settled on a girl that at least looked like she could be a war goddess."

"I'm sure any of the other girl's will do the part well," Tenten said. Kaito grinned gratefully. "You are very kind, but I never strive for adequacy. I wanted this opera to be great; I wanted the culture of theater to change." He chuckled. "That may seem lofty of me, but I've been in this business since I was a child. I want to be remembered."

Tenten looked at him in admiration, though she also remember Takara's words about ambition. _I wonder what he's sacrificed to get this far, _she thought. "If you find a girl in time, you should do the blade dance. Sure it won't be traditional, but this version of the opera is about breaking traditions anyway, right?"

Kaito laughed loudly. "You _are _Takara's daughter. Always striving for better things." Tenten chuckled. "I just think it would be edgy, plus I have a certain obsession for the beauty in weapons."

"The blade dance is not like fighting. It takes refinement and character. The dance must tell a story," Kaito stated. He looked at the dancers for a few moments and said, "Take a break ladies." Once the stage was clear he stood and smiled at Tenten. "Join me on stage, if you would be so kind."

Tenten looked at him suspiciously. "Why?"

"You're a shinobi. I want to see what the opera would be missing if we forego the blade dance," Kaito explained. "You just said that fighting isn't dancing," Tenten retorted. "And I stand by that, but I only wish to see." Tenten took a breath but relented and walked up the stairs to the center of the stage.

Kaito went backstage for a moment and returned with a long, blunted katana. "Use this and simply pretend that you are fighting someone," he instructed. Tenten nearly giggled but she didn't want to offend him. She felt absurd, like a child playing pretend, but she obliged anyway.

"Very good," Kaito called from the audience. "Don't be so stiff, alright?" Tenten paused and adjusted her footing. "Is true sword fighting only hacking and slashing? Some acrobatics wouldn't hurt." She nodded absent-mindedly and did a few flips and cartwheels while still skillfully swinging the katana.

"Excellent!" Kaito shouted, his voice booming with excitement. His encouragement only made Tenten move faster; spinning, running and leaping across the stage. She tossed the blade high in the air and let it flip before catching it in her hand by the hilt. Kaito's voice seemed so far away and muffled. All that existed was herself and the blade. Ideas for new steps came to her every second and felt the need to make her movements bigger and bigger.

By the time she stopped to catch her breath, Kaito was standing with the other dancers, his face alight with excitement.

* * *

"Have you lost your mind?" Takara paced around her dressing room with a cup of wine in her hand. She was flushed from drinking, stresses and flustered, despite spending hours to try and relax despite her earlier frustration. After the day's rehearsal, Kaito formally asked Tenten to portray Kaminari for their opera.

Tenten refused.

She'd never professionally danced a day in her life. There were plenty of other girls that wanted the part with more experience on stage. Kaito was convinced, though, that she was perfect for the role. He insisted that she at least think it over and discuss the idea with Takara.

Tenten had no desire to talk to Takara; especially since she was already in a horrible mood. Kaito smiled, however, and presented Takara with expensive wine and flowers to appease her.

His gifts only worked for a few minutes. The moment the words, "I want Tenten to play Kaminari" left his mouth, Takara's momentary glee was replaced with confusion, then fury.

"Tenten does not have any training, Kaito. One of those chorus girls has more experience," she shouted. Tenten silently agreed with her, though her doubt stung a bit.

"This is your daughter we're talking about, Takara," Kaito replied softly. "She has natural talent. With a few weeks of practice, I have faith that she'll be a great performer."

"Look, Kaito," Tenten interjected, "I agree with her. I don't know what I'm doing."

Kaito ignored her and looked sternly at Takara. "You didn't see her dance earlier. You don't know what I know. She has great potential."

Takara slammed her hand down on her vanity. "We have less than two months to prepare, Kaito. I cannot put my faith in an inexperienced dancer."

Tenten stood to leave, since the issue seemed to be settled. "I'm sorry, Kaito, but-"

"You know you can trust my judgement, Takara. Kaminari does not dance in the chorus. Previously, all she had was three duets. Now she has the duets and a blade dance. Come now, you can teach her what to do. If she's anything like you, she's a fast learner."

Takara gave a drunken, bitter laugh. "If memory serves me correctly, she said she was nothing like me," she spat glaring at Tenten, who felt the tiniest twinge of guilt.

Kaito glanced at each of them, stood, and took Takara's hands gently. "Let her prove herself and trust me. Please."

Tenten watched them uncomfortably. Though she felt that she had done nothing to earn Kaito's support, let alone a job performing for him, she was flattered. She didn't have many other options. Since she was no longer needed as a shinobi, she should develop other skills. Dancing wasn't a skill she assumed she would pursue, but it was something.

Takara eventually spun to face Tenten with a stern glare. "I want you onstage tomorrow before dawn. You only have one chance to impress me," she said.

Tenten, not seeing any other reason to argue, nodded. "I'll be there."

The next morning, Tenten stood on the stage alone, purposely early. She dressed comfortably and tempered her breathing. Takara approached her from backstage, her heels clicking loudly on the wooden floor.

"Good morning," Tenten greeted. "Well, well. I expected you to quit passively. I like your courage, Tenten, but I must confess: I don't think you know what you're getting yourself into."

"No need to worry," Tenten replied with a small smile. Takara grinned, despite herself. "Then let's get started. First, you're dressed all wrong."

"Will I have to wear platform sandals?" Tenten asked. "No. Kaminari is barefoot. So go on, take off your shoes. I've brought you a kimono to wear. They're much stiffer than pants and you'll have to get used to wearing them. Go and change. I'll wait for you."

Tenten did as she was bid and laced herself into the kimono, which was terribly tight and long. She nearly tripped when walking back on stage.

"Alright. I've never really taught anyone how to do this before, so all I'm going to do is show you the steps and you copy them, understand?"

"Yes," Tenten replied. Takara smiled and handed Tenten a large fan. "Pretend that it's your sword," she said, "and watch what I do."

* * *

After years as a shinobi, Tenten was familiar with feelings of utter exhaustion. Her first few weeks rehearsing with Takara's troupe was tiring, but the most satisfied she'd felt since the war ended. Each of the other dancers treated her with genuine kindness and she enjoyed getting to know all of them. The man that was cast to play the king, an apparently famous dancer named Haru Hayato, joined them three weeks before opening night.

Haru was tall and slim, with dark blonde hair and icy blue eyes. He was friendly, but pretentious and arrogant. Haru was appalled to know that Tenten had no prior experience, but he eventually got over it.

As Tenten improved, Kaito added scenes for her to participate in. She would perform three duets with Takara, a dance for the king, a group performance with four other girls and her blade dance.

The opera would be split into two parts that were two hours each and spanned for two nights. The opera would run for three months and Kaito assured them that the first nine performances were all sold out.

Two weeks before opening night, Kaito presented them with their finished costumes. All of them were vibrant but sturdy. Haru's robes were emerald green and lined with silver, with a heavy-looking warlord's headdress.

Takara was given a beautiful scarlet kimono with a low neckline. Her sleeves dragged along the floor even when her arms were raised above her head. The fabric was decorated with embroidered dragonflies and water lilies.

All of the other girls were given either bright pink kimonos, which symbolized that they were aligned with Uzume, or royal blue ones, that showed that they were aligned with Kaminari.

Tenten's costume was gold with dark blue trim. Though the only part of her costume Tenten cared about was her katana. It was long and gilded, with a navy hilt and multicolored tail on the end. It was one of the nicest blades she'd ever seen, even though it was dull and only a prop.

They practiced in their costumes for an entire day, then carefully put them away until the week of the first performance.

As Tenten stored her costume in her dressing room, which was not nearly as nice as Takara's, a gentle knock came fro the other side of her door. "Come it," she called. "I thought you'd like to have some tea and relax," Takara said peaking her head inside. "I'd like to," Tenten replied. "Let's go to your room."

Tenten followed her up a steep flight of stairs and sat in the modest luxury of Takara's room. Once the tea was served, Takara looked at Tenten and said, "So, are you excited for the opera."

Tenten smiled sheepishly. "Yes. I think it'll be a great show." Takara pursed her lips, something she did when she was pleased. "You've impressed me more than you could possibly imagine," she admitted. Tenten blushed modestly. "Thank you, that means a lot to me."

Takara took a dainty sip of her tea. "I can't imagine what would have happened if you weren't here with us. You're a godsend." She took another swallow of tea thoughtfully, then said, "What will you do when the opera is over? Don't you have responsibilities waiting for you back in Konoha."

The mention of Konoha took Tenten by surprise. She hadn't thought of the village in a long time. Her departure was so abrupt; she didn't even say any good byes. In hindsight, she should have told _someone _she was leaving. She had asked the Hokage for permission to leave, of course, but she never told him when she planned on going.

"I have some friends back home, and I promised one of them that I would return in time for her wedding, but, other than that, I'm not sure what I'll do after the opera ends," Tenten admitted.

Takara gave her a searching look. "You just have friends back home? No suitors?" Tenten chuckled. "Don't be silly." Takara shrugged nonchalantly. "Haru is quite taken with you."

"That's gross," Tenten groaned. Takara giggled and poured herself another cup of tea. "You're a picky little thing, aren't you? Just like me."

"I'm not picky," Tenten muttered. "I just know what I want now."

"Now? You didn't know before?"

Tenten looked down at her tea bleakly. "I thought I knew what I wanted, but I never really knew," she confessed. "Well, that's all a part of being an adult. When I was your age, I thought I wanted a man older than Satoru." Takara burst into laughter and Tenten smiled awkwardly. "Alright," Takara giggled while composing herself. "Tell me what happened."

Tenten shook her head quickly. "Nothing happened." Takara rolled her eyes. "Something _always _happens that makes you change what you want in a man... or a woman," she finished quizzically.

"I just want someone that recognizes my strengths. I don't want someone that pities me," Tenten explained. Takara set her cup down. "That's understandable."

Something about the sudden silence made Tenten want to have a moment of catharsis. She's been hiding from her problems since the war ended and now she had nothing stopping her from confronting them.

"There was... a person that I thought I wanted but I never thought that we would be anything more than friends," she started. Takara shifted in her seat, but stayed quiet and attentive.

"After the war, we didn't see each other or even speak for a year. You have to understand that after the war I felt so hopeless and useless that I needed solace from anything. When we saw each other again, I wanted that comfort to come from him, since I trusted him the most. Laying in bed next to him was the weakest I'd ever felt; needy. And he knew it; he said so. All that time beforehand I tried to understand why he finally wanted me. He never did, though. He did it because he felt sorry for me."

She took a breath; her hands were trembling so much she set down her cup so she wouldn't drop it. Takara stood and tenderly tucked a strand of hair behind Tenten's ear. "That's an especially hard lesson to learn and I'm sorry you had to learn it from someone you really cared for."

"I didn't just care about him," Tenten whispered, mostly to herself. "I _admired_ him. He'd overcome so much; things that I thought were far worst than what I experienced. I felt that if he could rise above all of it, then so could I."

"And you have," Takara murmured, "You're still here and you're doing more than you could have ever fathomed. I'm not a shinobi, and even I can see your strength." She laughed, her pretty blue eyes wet with emotion. "You're only human and quite an exceptional one, if my opinion counts for anything."

Tenten looked at her with immeasurable gratitude. "It does," she assured Takara. "It really does."

* * *

_**Two Chapters in Two Days!**_

_**Please Review!**_


	7. Yellow

_**Yo!**_

_**I have a lot of free time lately, so...**_

_**Another chapter!**_

_**This one will be a shorty, but I need to get this stuff out of the way so we can progress smoothly.**_

_**Please Review!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 7- The Star: Yellow**_

* * *

Tenten stretched her legs with a deep sigh. The opera, formally titled _Megami _or The Goddesses, was set to open in three days. The other dancers practiced with excited passion and outside of rehearsals, everyone was curiously quiet.

The surrounding city bustled with excitement. People from around the world were filling the hotels and making the streets more stifling than usual. There was an anticipatory buzz outside of the near silence within the theater. Sometimes, children would gather outside to listen to the musicians practice. The staff bustled to clean the stage, seats, restrooms and lobby. A few people lined up to purchase their last minute tickets.

Takara became pensive though more demanding. They ran through the show, all four hours of it, everyday in full costume. Any missteps were immediately confronted until they could perform seamlessly.

A week before the opening, Kaito insisted on a last-minute change. The play ended with a scene of Kaminari admitting her defeat then Uzume celebrated her reign over the world. Kaito felt that it would seem cruel for Uzume to celebrate another's defeat,so he flipped the scenes.

Other than that, the process of finalizing the performance went smoothly.

Before Tenten knew it, she was preparing for the opening. She arrived on stage early in the afternoon and greeted the other dancers with slight jitters. Many of the girls stood with confidence, as they have performed often. Others, despite their experience, still giggled excitedly between each other.

Takara and Kaito eventually joined them all on stage, prideful smiled gracing both of them. "I won't go into some grand speech," Kaito said, "though I will say that I am quite pleased with how far we've all come. There have been setbacks and we have overcome them. I expect the best out of each of you and I know that every performance will be beautiful."

With that, each dancer went to their respective dressing rooms. Tenten sat in front of her mirror and took a deep, shaking breath. She spent a few minutes calming her nerves. _It's just a performance,_ she thought. _I've been in near-death experiences... I can handle this._

With a sudden burst of inspiration, Tenten quickly undressed and began to apply smooth white paint to her arms and legs, then her face. Once the paint dried, she wrapped bandages first around her breasts, then from her hips to her knees. Tenten then carefully painted around the tops of her breasts, chest and neck.

She called for an assistant to help her paint the back of her body while Tenten focused on the details of her face paint. She first darkened her eyebrows, then painted intricate blue war symbols on her cheeks, chin, neck and shoulders. She then used the blue paint on her lips and gold paint on her eyelids.

The assistant divided her hair and left the majority of it down. She then did a play on her usual twin buns and wrapped her hair around gold ornate chopsticks. Finally, Tenten pulled her kimono on one arm and let the other fall. She wore a tightly bowed obi around her waist along with a belt to hold her sword.

Alone, Tenten stared at herself in the mirror. Something about the persona she was to portray resonated deeply with a future she had imagined for herself as a little girl. _I'm going to be a fearsome warrior, revered and remembered by history. It's only a play, and yet..._

One of the dancers entered her dressing room and babbled her excitement a few minutes before they were called down to the wings of the stage. Tenten watched the lights flare up on stage and felt her breath catch in her throat. After a quick inhale, she darted out on stage, totally engrossed in her role.

* * *

_In the dawn of time, Uzume lived in her garden with her maidens nearby to entertain her. The world was beautiful and the mortals were happy._

_As Uzume planted flowers on the earth, she was confronted by Kaminari, the war goddess. Kaminari was angry because the mortals were at peace and she was not needed. Uzume tried to convince Kaminari that the peace was good, but her optimism only spurned Kaminari to further anger._

_"The mortals will always have war!" Kaminari shouted. "And when they are fighting, all the beauty you create will be for nothing. The armies will trample your flowers underfoot and burn your trees to the ground."_

_Uzume shook her head sadly. "I know war will eventually come, but it does not mean that people cannot appreciate peace and loveliness."_

_They parted from each other, both in despair._

_Later, the mortal king, Yama prayed to all the gods for guidance, as dangerous bandits had ransacked small villages with the intent to destroy his kingdom._

_"Oh, gentle gods, I entreat you to guide me through this truly terrible time. Bring me strength, bring my people mercy, bring my kingdom peace," he cried._

_Uzume heard him from her garden and wept for his kingdom. She appeared in front of him and embraced him gently._

_"Be strong my sweet king. All will be well. Times will be hard, but you will overcome them," she said._

_Far away, Kaminari also heard the king's woes, so she went to him._

_"Be brave my king. You have a strong army and loyal fighters. Show these barbarians no mercy," she said._

_"No," Uzume gasped, "practice patience and kindness."_

_"No," Kaminari snapped, "destroy them in battle."_

_Unfortunately, the king was forced to lead his troops into battle. Uzume respected his decision, but cautioned him all the same. Yama left for battle with a blessing from her and Uzume promised him a home in her garden if he fell during battle._

_Kaminari oversaw many of the battles during the course of the war and gave courage to the men when they were afraid. Occasionally, King Yama called on her himself and she counselled him and took away his fear._

_With the help of both the goddesses, King Yama emerged from the war victorious._

_He thanked both of the goddesses and made several offerings to them both; to Kaminari he gave one thousand blades for her to melt down and make into a single, glorious sword. He gave Uzume rolls of the finest silks and giant sparkling gemstones._

_Uzume was so moved that she invited him to join her in her garden, but he refused in favor of ruling his kingdom._

_During the time of peace, Kaminari went to Uzume and boasted, "See, Uzume. The mortals went to war again. Our king Yama would not have prevailed if it wasn't for me."_

_"Both of us granted blessings to King Yama," Uzume reminded her. Kaminari laughed at her. "Just admit that your beauty and kindness did nothing to help Yama succeed."_

_"I disagree," Uzume said sadly._

_Kaminari screamed in frustrated rage. "We'll see, Uzume. I know that there would be no peace without war. Little flowers are useless to everyone."_

_"I don't just help the world look pleasant, Kaminari. I inspire kindness, which is the most important facet of peace," Uzume explained._

_"We'll see," Kaminari promised._

_For many years after that, Kaminari tried to instigate wars to inspire peace, while Uzume favored kindness._

_King Yama eventually died and, as promised, lived his afterlife in Uzume's garden. He thanked Uzume profusely for her help during his long reign._

_"You brought such light to my life," he said kneeling at her feet. "For that, I will be eternally loyal to you."_

_Kaminari heard his words and grew angry. "I should have his loyalty as well," she thought. "I helped him just as much as Uzume."_

_In her anger, she released an aura of hatred over Yama's former kingdom. A war broke out quickly and in a only a few months, villages, the capital city and the royal palace were all destroyed._

_Kaminari looked down on all of the destruction in sorrow. What had she caused?_

_Uzume heard the cries of the mortals and went to each of them at once, warming them in their sleep, blessing them with crops and soothing the anger in their hearts._

_Peace returned to the kingdom with the coming of the new spring and all was well once more._

_Kaminari watched Uzume spread her kindness in melancholy understanding. "Everyone is happier through sympathy and not brought together by something as terrible as war. And war is what I am..."_

_Distraught, Kaminari chose to take herself from the world and peace reigned in the kingdom forever._

* * *

_**Ok folks. End of this shorty chapter.**_

_**Next chapter: The Star: White Part 1**_

**_(Yeah, part 1)  
(Take that however you wish)  
(I'd be excited if I were you ;P)_**


	8. White Part 1

_**Hiya readers!**_

_**Here's the new chapter.**_

_**Please Enjoy!**_

_**Review!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 8-The Star: White, Part 1**_

* * *

The mornings after performances were always quiet with contentment. During the weeks between performances, Tenten found herself getting apparently much needed sleep. Takara was kind enough to get her a room at an inn across the road from the theater. She was always well rested by the end of the week and ready to dance for two straight nights.

The first month of performances went by slowly, without any mistakes or hecklers. Each viewing housed a completely full audience. The second month was well received by the audience as well, though Tenten and the other dancers were beginning to get weary. Takara, however, only grew more excited.

One afternoon, she swept into the theater where they were all gathered in an excited frenzy. "Girls, Haru," she said with a wide smile, "I am pleased to announce that tomorrow's performance is private." Many of the dancers began to clap and laugh among each other, while Tenten sat naively.

"Why is that important?" She asked. Takara giggled softly. "Private performances are expensive. We are paid more; the audiences are smaller and richer. We are all ensured great bonuses. The host means to have a gala event that includes the first half of _Megami_. The next night, we will finish the opera and they'll finish their little party. Oh! I _love _sponsored events!"

"Why can't they just see a regular performance?" Tenten asked. "The rich can't mingle with the plebeian, dear," Takara murmured dismissively.

The theater was cleared out to make space for only two hundred viewers when the room could seat up to one thousand. The back of the room was decorated with long tables that would be covered with fancy snacks and drinks for the viewers to enjoy during the performance. In the lobby, twenty tables of ten were set for them to enjoy a light meal before the show and socialize with the people in attendance. Overall, the guests were expected to arrive at five in the evening, _Megami _would start at seven and end its first half at nine and they would return the next evening.

Takara had the honor of attending the gala before the show started, which she reminded everyone of whenever she had the chance. An hour before the event, Tenten sat with other dancers and watched the lobby transform. A few of the single girls conspired to find some rich, handsome man to whisk them away. Other girls gossiped about the people that would likely be attending.

Tenten and the other dancers had to disappear until the opera, so she ate a light meal and napped. Loud rapping at her door woke her with a jolt. Tenten stood quickly and opened the door to see Takara, dressed extravagantly. "You should have worked the room with me, dear," she said letting herself in. Tenten blinked the sleep from her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Oh, don't fret. We have an hour to prepare. I just needed a moment to be with a simple person. The rich can be very demanding, you know."

Tenten rolled her eyes and started to take out her paint, make up and costume. "The host family was very interesting," Takara was saying. "They're from Konoha, like you. Very prestigious." Tenten felt an uneasy prickling at the back of her neck. "Is it the Hyugas?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. Are you familiar?" Takara asked with interest. Tenten felt her face flush and stomach churn. She had a fleeting nervousness, but decided to ignore it. She'd known Neji for years and while he respected culture, he would never go see something like this. Maybe some other members of the family wanted to get other clans together; if Neji had the power, he would remain home. Besides, she could avoid him as much as possible and hoped that he would offer her the same reprieve.

"They're pretty famous back home, that's all," she replied casually.

Takara stared at her for a few moments while Tenten tried to avoid her gaze. "Shouldn't you start getting ready?" Tenten said hoping she would leave. "Yes, I should," Takara murmured thoughtfully. "I'll see you on stage, dear."

Tenten sighed in relief and continued dressing. When she was ready, she walked onto the wings of the stage and peaked out at the audience. The lights were so bright she couldn't make out any distinct faces and despite the small amount of viewers, they were as talkative and excited as a full crowd was.

The opera started as usual and Tenten gave herself over to her character.

* * *

The applause seemed far louder than usual to Tenten, but perhaps that was because half the audience had been drinking for four straight hours. The first half of the opera concluded well, and she looked forward to finishing the next evening.

Tenten had barely made it from the wings of the stage before Takara grabbed her arm and breathlessly said, "We're due in the lobby. The guests want to meet the leads." She led Tenten through backstage, found Haru and Kaito to bring him with them and walked to the lobby to greet the guests as they left the theater.

"Put on a pretty smile, dear," Takara said practicing her smiles. "Try to be enchanting or something."

"Why would they want to meet me? At least you're all famous," Tenten replied. Haru gave her a patronizing yet amused look. "We weren't always famous. This is how people learn your name. Get used to it."

Eventually the guests, all of them dressed in fine silk and sparkling jewelry, began to leave the theater and thank them for such a great first half. Tenten greeted each of them politely and graciously took their compliments.

"I knew it was you," a familiar voice gasped. Tenten barely had time to register what was happening before she was tightly embraced.

"Hinata, it's so nice to see you," Tenten said genuinely. Hinata pulled away from her and beamed. "I saw you on stage and I just knew it was you." Her smile faded and was replaced with worry. "You left without saying a word, Tenten. We were worried about you."

Tenten flushed guiltily. "I'm sorry–"

"No. What were you thinking? I know you wanted to find your mother, but you didn't even say good-bye." Tenten placed her hands on Hinata's shoulders. "I'm sorry. I really am. It's just that I was going through a lot and I needed to get away." Hinata sighed and embraced her again. "I'm just happy to know that you're alright."

Tenten smiled. "So, tell me, why are you here?"

"Hanabi just turned fifteen. She really wanted to come see the opera and begged our father to bring her here. He took it as an opportunity to socialize with other clans and, between you and I, hopefully find someone to marry her when she gets older," Hinata explained.

"Hanabi would never agree to an arranged marriage," Tenten murmured. "I know," Hinata laughed, "I tried to tell Father but he never listens to me. Neji told me he'd try to convince him, too, but I'm not sure it worked."

"Is Naruto here?" Tenten asked. "No. I didn't expect Naruto to sit through a four hour play with such boring people, so he stayed back home. Neji's very jealous."

"Neji's here?" Tenten asked, her voice bordering on shrill. "Father insisted," Hinata replied, "It would have looked inappropriate, since both Father and I would have been here without him."

"Why?"

"It's a long story," Hinata groaned though her eyes brightened. "My father's inviting people to our apartment for a late dinner. You should come. I know he intended on inviting the director and Takara. I'll tell you as much as I can there."

Tenten shook her head. "That's sweet, but–"

She felt her heart jump as Neji locked eyes with her. She quickly looked away but she could still feel his eyes on her. Within moments, as Tenten grasped for a polite refusal to Hinata, he was standing in front of her, his face stoic, masking what she could clearly see was irritation in his eyes.

"Were you going to tell anyone that you left the village?" Neji asked without preamble. Tenten, thankful that they couldn't see her blushing under her face paint, replied, "I just got done begging an apology, okay?"

"It's true," Hinata said with a giggle. "I've forgiven her on behalf of all of us. There's no need to scold her." Neji looked unconvinced. "Why are you _here_?"

Tenten pointed at Takara. "That's my mother. She got me a job." Hinata's eyes widened in shock. "Her? I can't believe it." Tenten laughed. "Trust me, I took it worse than you."

"She's very beautiful," Hinata murmured. "I suppose. It's a shame she's pretty rude under all that makeup," Tenten retorted. Hinata giggled and lightly slapped her on the arm. "This is why you should join us at the apartment. I'm sure you have great stories."

"I really shouldn't," Tenten said. _For more reasons than one, _she thought. _The most important one is standing next to you._

"Of course you should," Takara called loudly. She smiled but gave Tenten a stern look. "If we have the honor of being invited, of course we should go." Takara lowered her voice so only Tenten could hear. "Smile and agree with me, dear."

"I don't want to intrude, Takara. It also seems highly unprofessional," Tenten replied willfully while sending a dark glare at Takara.

"It would really be no trouble," Hinata insisted. Tenten looked at her sadly, then at her mother, who looked fit to fly into one of her rages, and then at Neji, whose eyes had not softened.

"As long as you're sure," Tenten complied. Hinata grinned, Takara laughed and Tenten forced a smile. _It's just one night, _she thought. _I can find something to talk about for a few hours._

* * *

_** Okay, so this chapter was going to be longer, but I want to post Part 1 now. **_

_**Please Review and Enjoy!**_

_**Next: The Star: White Part 2 (Which is half done, btw :)**_


	9. White Part 2

_**Hiya readers!**_

_**Here's the new chapter.**_

_**Flashback is in **Italics_

_**Please Enjoy!**_

_**Review!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 8-The Star: White, Part 2**_

* * *

Takara threw a few of her personal kimonos at Tenten in a huff. "How could you refuse the host's daughter? They're spending a great deal of money on this private performance; we have to accommodate them."

Tenten, having had quite enough of this entire evening, fired back, "If I don't want to go to some stupid party, I should be able to say no!"

Takara rolled her eyes. "Don't be a brat, dear. It's unbecoming."

"I don't know what to tell you," Tenten replied setting aside the gown and folding her arms. Takara sat at her mirror and took pins out of her hair. "You can start by being honest," she mumbled. "Why did you tell me you didn't know them earlier?"

Tenten blushed, embarrassed. "Remember when I told you about the person that I had a brief fling with. He's a Hyuga. I'm not ready to confront him yet, so I won't."

Takara threw Tenten a sad glance. "While that's unfortunate for you to go through, I'm sure you'll be able to handle it." She stood and grabbed Tenten's hand. "Sit down. If you think I'll let you face your former flame looking all drab and homely, well you don't know me very well."

After a few rushed minutes, Tenten, Takara, Haru and Kaito rode to the Hyuga's rented apartment. It was far from the usual rush of the town and appealing from the outside.

Takara strode in the apartment on Kaito's arm wearing a beautiful violet kimono with a neckline that dipped dangerously low. She allowed Tenten to borrow a jade green kimono with her shoulders exposed and blades of grass painted along the hem. Takara quickly fixed Tenten's hair so it was partially down with a section that was held by a pretty, gold comb.

Once they were inside, Takara, Kaito and Haru completely left Tenten alone, so she walked around the luxurious apartment curiously, hoping to run into Hinata. It was beautifully decorated even though it would only be used for a weekend. A few servants offered her food or wine and, when she first arrived, she refused. Eventually though, one of them offered her savory dumplings that she simply couldn't refuse after such a long day. Unable to locate Hinata, Tenten eventually sat away from most of the others and watched them interact inquisitively, laughing discretely at a few of the more ridiculous conversations she overheard.

As she was finishing a spicy dumpling, Tenten noticed a shadow beside her. She peaked in that direction and felt her mild contentment fade to dread. "I've never known you to be a wallflower," Neji murmured down at her. Tenten chose not to respond spitefully and turned her head away from him.

"I think we should talk," she heard him say but refused a reaction. She felt him settle next to her, his thigh pressed warmly against her own.

Tenten swallowed nervously, but turned to him and said, "So, how do you like the show?"

"It's invigorating," he mumbled dismissively. "The last time I saw you–"

"Was in the lobby and before that on stage," Tenten interrupted quickly. "Don't be flippant," he snapped. "Don't be snippy," she fired back, finally making eye contact with him. His eyes were dangerously narrow and his jaw was set. While she should be intimidated, instead Tenten was bordering on furious. Why was he even bothering to talk to her? Wasn't their night of embarrassment enough for him too? There was really nothing to talk about.

"I don't understand why you don't want to talk about it," he muttered. Tenten felt her face redden. "Why do you _want _to talk about it? There's nothing to say."

"Is there a reason you left without telling anyone?" he asked bluntly. Tenten pressed her lips together and chose her words. "I- I told people I was leaving. I just didn't say when I was going to go."

"I was worried about you. It was days before Hinata told me that you wanted to locate your mother, but that was all anyone knew," Neji explained, his voice softening slightly. "I know how upset you were after... everything that happened." Tenten blushed and looked away from him. "Knowing that, it was disturbing that you disappeared the next day."

She felt fleetingly remorseful and looked down at her hands. "Look, I didn't mean to worry anyone. I was frazzled and I didn't know what to do, so I left."

She was stupid, in hindsight, but her decision to leave was constructive. She was happy again, empowered. Even though she didn't know the direction her life was going anymore, she was strong enough to be flexible and discover the road as it unfurled before her.

Now, she felt that she could conquer her past and make strides to move forward.

Tenten peered up at Neji and observed him thoughtfully: her old friend, short-lived lover and forever comrade. She wished things could be as they were before: before the war ended, before her dismal, lonely year, before they completely ruined it.

As if reading her mind, Neji whispered, "I know we can't change what happened in the past, but perhaps we can start over. I value our friendship–"

"Oh, _come on_, Neji. How can you value a friend you didn't talk to for a year?" Tenten groaned bitterly. Whatever softness existed on Neji's features before faded away quickly. "Did it ever cross your mind that I _couldn't _speak to you?"

Tenten faltered and took an abrupt breath. "What are you saying?" He stared at her searchingly and she noticed his eyes flicker across the room. Tenten followed his gaze and watched a red-faced, laughing Hinata approach them quickly.

"I've been looking all over for you," Hinata said breathless. Tenten stood and embraced her warmly, thankful for a momentary break from her uncomfortable conversation. "Your apartment is beautiful; very luxurious." Hinata giggled. "Thank you." She looked at Neji politely. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Actually," Tenten said reluctantly. "Would you mind giving us a moment? We're, uh, reconnecting."

"Of course I don't mind. I'll be at that table over there by the window when you're done. Don't forget me," she urged good-naturedly. "I won't," Tenten promised with another hug.

Hinata left them with a smile and Neji stood when she was out of earshot. "May we speak somewhere privately?" he asked and Tenten swallowed apprehensively. The last thing she wanted was to be alone with him again; if there were people around, then she'd trust herself against her urges.

_Oh, God... What urges? There are no urges. I'm over everything, _she thought, a blush creeping up her cheeks. They could speak alone: close enough to other people so things could stay casual, but private enough for him to explain whatever he was going to explain. "How about the veranda?" she mumbled taking quick steps as far away from him as possible toward the doors leading outside.

The back of the apartment overlooked a sparking pond and lantern-lit walkway. It was vaguely romantic, but Tenten pushed that thought from her mind. She rested her elbows on the stone railing of the veranda and watched Neji mirror her actions. Even though she was nearly distressed, he still maintained a nonchalant disposition, his face stoic and cold, though his eyes, usually withdrawn, had the slightest dejection buried deep inside them.

"Right after the war ended," he began, his demeanor distant, "I recovered from my injuries at the compound instead of in a hospital. A few weeks into my recovery, my uncle came to see me. He thanked me for my services to the village and, subsequently, my family."

* * *

_His days had been a plethora of stiffness. After lying in bed for weeks, all Neji wanted to do, at the very least, was move. When Hiashi visited him, looking maddeningly immaculate in his formal robes, he first told Neji basic updates: who'd been named the Hokage, how many people were named into Konoha's council, which shinobi died while they were in the hospital._

_After a litany of thanks, Hiashi looked at Neji firmly, with purpose. "You have shown immense promise and the Hyuga Elders and I want to honor you in the best way we know how." Neji stared back at him and tried to stay composed._

_"Our family must change along with the time and you may very well be a large part of these changes. You are old enough to hold a governing position in our family and that is what we'd like to offer you for your efforts."_

_Neji shifted in his bed, his mind racing. He'd always rejected fantasies that involved an advanced stature in his family. While he worked hard to be a great shinobi, he didn't expect to be compensated for his work by the main branch._

_He swallowed and asked, "What is the offer?"_

_Hiashi prefaced the answer by first explained the change in governance that the family would be adapted to. He then explained to Neji where his role would be: leading over the branch house with little interference from the main house and advising or training all shinobi in the clan._

_"Unlike the main house, your position is not determined by birthright, but through a vote among the branch house, your approval and the Elders' approval; I did not like this, but the Elders insisted. Also, you will have to undergo one more mission before you can take your position," Hiashi finished and pulled out a scroll._

_Neji sat quietly, pondering his options. He should accept without question, to avoid offending them. Some parts of their offer was specifically intended to keep the branch house submissive and yet, if Neji had control a good amount of power, he could slowly make changes progressively. If he handled himself correctly, in this moment, he could affect immediate change._

_"A mission?" Neji asked before giving a final answer._

_"There are small clans in other countries that want to ignite more conflicts while each of the villages are weak and in recovery," Hiashi explained. "The Kages want to send a few squads to quietly observe these families and eliminate anyone that has treasonous plans. The Hokage requested you and we thought that this final mission would do well to determine your readiness to lead."_

_Another step to assure submission; if Neji happened to die while away, all of their promises would be as if they never existed. Only he could see to it that their word was maintained._

_"I'm very grateful for this opportunity," Neji murmured deferentially. "But I have a condition."_

_"Condition?" Hiashi repeated cautiously._

_"From the moment I become the head of the branch house, the curse seals will be abolished. You said yourself the clan must change with the time," Neji said rigidly._

_"The curse seal is used to protect our family's secrets," Hiashi spat sharply._

_"If that is the case, then every member of the clan would have it," Neji argued, his voice cool but polite. "You know as well as I that the seal is used as a form of punishment more than it is used to protect our clan. It's a barbaric practice that has no place in a civilized family such as ours."_

_Neji watched Hiashi's jaw work in and out. A deep ache formed in his stomach; if he ruined this opportunity by being too presumptuous, he'd never forgive himself._

_"I think I can find a way to convince the other Elders about your proposition," Hiashi sighed finally. Neji felt his heart flip and he stared at his uncle, stunned._

_"All I have to do," Neji said after a moment, "is successfully complete this mission."_

_Hiashi nodded. "It will take a few months to complete. In addition, the mission is covert; you may discuss it with no one. Even when you are safely home in the village."_

_"I understand," Neji replied. "When am I going?"_

_"You will leave tonight. Do you have any objections?" Hiashi asked._

_"I'm a bit out of practice," Neji mumbled. "But I can be ready. You said that I cannot discuss the details of this mission with anyone, but how do you expect to explain to people that I am away?"_

_Hiashi snorted. "The only people that are important enough to know already do."_

_"My teammates should know that I'm gone," Neji insisted. Especially Tenten. The last time he saw her, they were separated in battle. She didn't deserve to worry._

_"Your teammates are no longer your priority," Hiashi stated bluntly. "If you maintain that they are, then you clearly do not have the clan's best interests in mind."_

_Neji cringed. "Never mind," he said quietly. "I only thought_–"

_"People will be told that you have undertaken responsibilities that keep you quite busy in our clan. It's not a complete lie, but it's sufficient to keep people from asking too many questions," Hiashi explained. "Do you accept the terms I laid out for you?"_

_"I do," Neji agreed resolutely. "As long as my condition is met when I return."_

_"On my honor, I will see to it that your condition is met by the time you come back," Hiashi murmured sincerely._

_Neji climbed from the bed, despite the tenseness in his body, knelt and bowed to Hiashi's feet. "Thank you, Uncle."_

* * *

Tenten stared off into the pond, a lump of shame forming in her throat. Her year of anger and frustration at him had been for nothing; he was on a mission, risking his life for the village and all she did was mope and think of herself.

"I had no intention of telling you any of this," Neji was saying, "until _that night_. I didn't want you to feel the way you did without cause."

Tenten still stared off mutely. What could she possibly say? "I–"

Neji took her hands gently. "When I was away, I thought about you often. At first I thought it was guilt; I felt bad that I hadn't told you that I was alright after the war and that I was only away on a mission." He reached out and gently touched her cheek. "I know now that there was more to it than that."

"Neji, I'm- I'm sorry," she babbled. "I was so mad at you and for absolutely no reason. I–" His words seemed to just then sink in for her. "What are you saying?" she asked, her eyes wide.

Neji looked away from her sheepishly. "I missed you," he mumbled softly. "And when you came to see me and you kissed me, I thought that you felt the same way."

_I missed you, too, _she thought helplessly, but the words lodged in her throat. She was so overwhelmed; what did everything that happened before she left mean now?

She was mad at him for only comforting her out of pity. Now she knew that he missed her and wanted to spend that time with her.

"Back inside, I said that I wanted to start over with you," Neji said locking eyes with her once more. "And I do. I trust you and I respect you. When I wasn't around you this past year, it was particularly bleak."

Tenten laughed lightly and peered up at him. "I feel so stupid," she muttered. "I left in the heat of the moment for nothing. I hope you can forgive me."

Neji brushed his thumb against her cheek. "I do," he replied. "I want you to forgive me, too, for keeping secrets from you."

"It was your duty," she said. "I understand." A harmonious silence followed that made Tenten flush with pleasure. And while things were mostly settled between them, another thing he said still had to be discussed.

"Look, Neji, about the starting over thing. I need some time to think. I don't know if I'm ready to make a firm decision about it right now," she explained reluctantly, though she knew it was the right thing to do. Tenten watched him stare at her for a few moments, her heart pounding.

"That's fine," he replied courteously. "Take all the time you need; I will wait." Neji brought his lips to her cheek softly, warmth radiating off him, a fragrance he was wearing lingering in the air. He pulled away from her and quietly led her back into the apartment before exiting the room.

Tenten stood in the middle of the room astounded. She never expected the night to be like this. _Neji... You never cease to confuse me_, she thought.

She noticed that Hinata was still sitting at a table by the window, so she walked over to her and sat in an empty seat. "Thanks for being so patient," Tenten said taking a breath.

Hinata smiled a sly smile she likely learned from Naruto. "When did you start dating my cousin?" Tenten stared at her, her mouth agape with embarrassment. "I'm not dating Neji," she replied quickly. Hinata gasped and took Tenten's hands. "You're lying! I absolutely saw him kiss you just a minute ago."

"It was a peck! Nothing intimate," Tenten argued. "For Neji, any kind of physical affection is intimate," Hinata countered. Tenten blushed and snatched her hands away. _If only you knew, Hinata, _she thought, her blush deepening. "It isn't what you think," she tried feebly, knowing she was caught.

"Sure," Hinata mumbled unconvinced. "Well, if it isn't what I think, then I just want you to know that hypothetically, you'd make a great couple."

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Neji told me about his mission this past year." Hinata's smile fell and she paled slightly. "Did he?" Tenten smirked and poked Hinata in the arm. "You lied to all of us for a whole year."

Hinata blushed. "I didn't want to keep the secret but my father made we swear. I couldn't even tell my own husband. I did tell him eventually; it was killing me. I wanted to tell you, especially when you seemed so mad at him, but–"

"Hinata, it's fine, okay. I'm not mad at you or anything," Tenten assured. "He wasn't supposed to tell you, or anyone, about that mission," Hinata murmured but grinned. "That's why I know something's going on between the two of you."

"Nothing's going on or has ever gone on," Tenten lied. _I can keep secrets too, _she thought. However, she quickly forgot that Hinata was just an adept byakugan user as Neji, so being dishonest was pointless.

"You're lying!" Hinata laughed covering her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide with shock. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Tenten urged. "Let's just drop it, okay?"

"So you admit that there's something to drop," Hinata whispered. "Interesting."

Tenten rolled her eyes again, though inside, she was elated. Everything in her life was falling gracefully into place for the first time since the end of the war, so she basked in it.

In the back of her mind, she thought about the decision she'd have to make concerning Neji. The choice was so simple to her but she wanted to tread lightly. Even when she tried to think seriously, she smiled blithely and thought about the feeling of his lips against her skin.

* * *

**_Ok, how'd you like it?_**

**_Next Chapter: White Part 3 (Final Part of the White Chapters)_**

**_Please Review_**


	10. White Part 3

_**Yo, Guys!**_

**_Sorry for the extra long hiatus. Posts will be more frequent for the rest of summer.  
_**

_**Please Enjoy and Review**_

* * *

_**Chapter 8-The Star: White, Part 3**_

* * *

Tenten left the Hyuga's apartment early in the morning when it was still dark. She and Hinata laughed and gossiped the entire night until they were both exhausted.

"Sakura and Sasuke have set a wedding date," Hinata told her over wine and rice cakes. "Sakura told me that Sasuke would rather marry quietly, without all the fanfare."

"Of course he would," Tenten replied. "This is Sasuke we're talking about."

"I swear I think Naruto is more excited about their wedding than he was about ours," Hinata giggled. Tenten laughed with her and teased, "You aren't jealous?"

"Don't be silly! I'm only saying I won't be surprised if Naruto cries more than Sakura." Hinata paused to take a swallow of wine before saying, "I'm so glad you're here, Tenten. I thought I'd be so bored."

"Why did you come? You should've stayed home with Naruto," Tenten replied.

"I had to come. It's all about the politics in my family right now," she explained.

"Politics?"

"Yes," Hinata whispered and leaned close to Tenten. "As you know, after the war my father made Neji head of the Branch house." Tenten nodded her understanding. "Well, he also expressed a lot of regret about how he treated me when I was younger, so he offered me a small, arbitrary position of power as well, to keep until Hanabi's old enough to led on her own. It's a division of power: my father leads the Main house, Neji leads the branch house and I represent all non-shinobi. In time, Hanabi will do both mine and my father's responsibilities. That's why the three of us need to be seen together. It shows that we have solidarity."

"Sounds unnecessarily complicated," Tenten said with a yawn. "Story of my life," Hinata replied with a laugh.

By the time Tenten decided she should leave, Takara, Kaito and Haru had already left the party, so Tenten traveled back to her inn across from the theater alone. As she undressed and pulled the pins and comb from her hair, she thought deeply about Neji.

_He wants to start over_, she thought. _He missed me as much as I missed him._

She vividly remembered how warm and rough his hands were, his lips, with their delicate pecks, light as butterflies and firm kisses, strong as they were passionate. She remembered his eyes, usually reminiscent of the cold white of snow, burning bright like gleaming stars.

She imagined what it would be like to feel his hands and lips and look into his eyes everyday and it made her stomach flutter. She wanted to be that close with him; deep in her heart, she knew she always wanted him this way, but never thought that her feelings would be reciprocated.

_"I thought about you often," _he had said. _"I missed you... I thought you felt the same way..."_

Tenten found herself hugging a pillow close to her, giddy, and that was how she fell asleep.

"Tenten! Wake up, my sweet daughter. We have _much _to talk about."

Tenten rolled on her side and cracked an eye open. Takara really had a knack for ruining Tenten's sleep. She often felt the need to rush in her dressing room or suite for the most frivolous of reasons.

At hearing Takara's piercing voice, Tenten groaned and climbed from the bed. She quickly straightened the covers on her bed and went to the door.

Takara stood on the other side, dressed in a bright pink gown, looking neat and refreshed, while Tenten fought grogginess. She sneered at Tenten's unkempt appearance before letting herself in.

"Aren't you glad you went to the party with us last night?" Takara asked sitting in an easy chair. Tenten smiled and started brushing her hair. "Yes. Thank you for forcing me into it," she said sarcastically.

"Kaito and I had a lovely time. That family is very refined," Takara said staring at her nails. "You should have told me that the host's older daughter was a friend of yours."

"Hinata?" Tenten mumbled, parting her hair and twisting one section into a bun. "It never came up, I guess. What would you have done if you knew?"

"I just would have liked to know," Takara sighed feigning innocence. Tenten rolled her eyes and finished pinning her hair firmly into place. "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself other wise," she replied.

Takara smiled felinely. "Did you happen to come across your noble suitor? How did you handle him?"

Tenten shrugged, determined to stay as casual as possible. "I did. We talked and sorted things out."

"Talked?" Takara frowned with a scoff. "I asked how you handled him, not how you had diplomatic negotiations. You should have made him sweat."

"Look, I had no intention of hashing things out with him at first, but honestly, everything was a huge misunderstanding," Tenten explained. "There's no need to play stupid games."

"So, I made you look gorgeous yesterday for nothing," Takara groaned. Tenten laughed. "It wasn't for nothing, I'm very grateful."

"Well," Takara muttered slowly, "I'm glad that you made up, I suppose. We're starting the opera earlier today, you know. Be onstage at five, not seven. Afterward, the entire cast and crew is invited to enjoy the gala."

"Sounds like fun," Tenten replied halfheartedly.

Later, Tenten finished her make-up routine before going onstage with fluttering in her stomach. She'd only felt nervous during her first night's performance, but knowing that Neji and Hinata would be watching her filled her with unease.

Eventually, she walked onto the stage gracefully; it was the scene in which King Yama swore loyalty and love to Uzume instead of Kaminari. Tenten didn't have to perform any steps, just react to Takara and Haru's duet with sadness and jealousy. Once they glided from the stage, Tenten walked to the center and performed a small, furious blade dance. Other dancers, dressed in blue, joined her after a while and danced along side her. Destruction was portrayed by other dancers and Tenten left the stage, still evoking rage and anger.

Takara then performed her longest, most beautiful routine. Tenten watched her with admiration; she truly had a gift for pulling emotions out of her audience through her precise movements. Her blue eyes seemed to connect with each onlooker individually, as she guided them through hope and happiness. She managed to fill the theater with joy; a necessity, as Tenten would close the show on a somber note.

When Takara was finished, Tenten walked on the stage for her final blade dance. The music was slow and bleak and Tenten danced the steps she'd learned perfectly, with sadness in each flow of her arm. Each spin transformed her character into a vulnerable, remorseful entity. She looked up to the rafters and held her gilded blade above her head.

It twinkled in the light prettily and seemed to glow as Tenten pointed it toward the audience. She sank to her knees slowly and brought the dull blade to the center of her throat; and for the first time since performing this routine, she heard someone in the audience gasp loudly.

Tenten slowly brought the blade across her neck as the stage lights glowed red and applause roared throughout the theater. _That's new_, Tenten thought, her body limp against the stage and eyes closed gently. She listened to the music swell and build until it faded and the stage darkened quickly.

She used the darkness of the stage to stand and return backstage for their curtain call.

Light returned to the stage and the dancers dressed in blue walked on stage, followed by the dancers in pink. Haru then walked on stage slowly, with confidence and purpose. Tenten let him have his moment, then followed him and gave a modest bow before turning to address Takara, who glided to center stage glamorously.

She bowed multiple times then addressed the musicians, lighting crew and Kaito, who always sat in the front row. She then, for the first time, took Tenten by the hand and walked with her to the edge of the stage and bowed with her. Tenten looked at Takara with surprise and Takara smiled proudly. Tenten blushed and gave her a meek smile. _I wonder what's gotten into her..._

* * *

Again, Tenten, Takara, Haru and Kaito stood in the lobby and spoke pleasantries with each of the guests attending the performance.

"You performed wonderfully tonight," Kaito whispered to her between handshakes. "Thanks," Tenten replied with a sudden bashfulness. "I really wish you would have done your last routine this well weeks ago," Haru commented dryly.

"As long as you continue to dance as you did tonight, we will finish the season strong," Takara said with a wide smile. She leaned close to Tenten and whispered slyly, "I think you have _extra _inspiration this week, don't you? Someone you're wanting to impress?"

Tenten gave her a coy grin. "I just did my best, as always." Takara turned her attention to a short, aged noble woman and Tenten craned her neck to see Hinata and Hanabi walking toward her quickly.

"So, how'd you like it?" Tenten asked with a smile. She noticed that Hinata's eyes were glazed over and slightly pink. "This show was incredible, I'm so glad I'm here," Hanabi said excitedly. "The ending was so unexpected," Hinata murmured, her cheeks flushed.

"You made her cry, you know," Hanabi told Tenten with a light giggle. "I was not prepared for the ending, that's all. It was beautifully done," Hinata sighed. "Well I'm glad you enjoyed it," Tenten replied. "And happy birthday, Hanabi. This is quite a gift."

Hanabi smiled. "Thank you. I'm really grateful that Father was able to make this happen for me."

At that moment, Hiashi and Neji walked over them, Hiashi not sparing Tenten a word and leading his younger daughter away to meet some young, foreign nobleman. In desperation, Hanabi pulled Hinata along with them, leaving Neji and Tenten alone.

"So, what did you-"

"How are you-"

They both chuckled sheepishly and Tenten blushed, suddenly self-conscious. Neji was standing stiffly, the disquiet spread equally between them.

"I hope you liked the show," Tenten finally managed. Neji's eyes were watchful but far away. "I did," he replied, looking at her as if he was shaken out of a reverie. "I wasn't sure if I would, but I found the characters and music dynamic. You should be very proud."

Tenten smiled amiably. "Thanks."

"So, is this how you'll lead your life now?" Neji asked. "Travelling and performing odori?"

Tenten chuckled. "I don't know. But if being here has taught me anything, it's that I shouldn't plan out my life so meticulously. I never imagined I'd be here, yet here I am."

Neji nodded, his eyes watching her intently, though he did not reply to her. "I've decided that when our season is over I'm going to come back to the village," Tenten told him offhandedly.

"I'm glad to hear that," Neji murmured, then remembered himself and said, "Many of us will be glad to see you again."

Tenten, unable to help herself, giggled softly. "I'm sure they will." She noticed people shifting towards the tables and food that had been set in the lobby. "Look, I'm really not one for these galas, so I think I'm going to leave before anyone notices that I'm gone."

Neji scoffed dryly. "You think _I _want to stay here? I think there's been more acting in our apartment this weekend than your entire run on stage." Tenten laughed, probably too loudly, and lightly touched Neji's arm. "Well, you're welcome to join me if you want. I'm not sure what I'm going to do but–"

"You don't have to convince me; where can we go to leave without attracting any attention?" he asked quietly. Tenten glanced over his shoulder; no one seemed to be looking in their direction. She quickly took is hand and whispered, "Follow me."

She led him down an empty hall toward the stairs leading to the dressing rooms. Many off the dancers had already changed and gathered in the lobby, so Tenten didn't worry about running into any of them. They climbed two steep stories and walked briskly to Tenten's room.

"We can leave through the stage door in the back. No one's used it since the set was being built," Tenten explained closing the door behind them. "Make yourself comfortable. I'm going to get out of this make up and change. Then we can go."

Tenten sat in front of here mirror while Neji occupied a small corner beside her door. She began with pulling pins and other adornments from her hair.

"How long does it usually take you to get ready?" Neji asked after a moment.

"A little more than an hour I think," Tenten replied. "I think doing the make up is the hardest part of this entire experience."

"If I didn't have my byakugan, I don't think I would have recognized you," he told her, his voice a near whisper.

Tenten smiled thinly. "I know what you mean. When I first started, all I saw in the mirror was my character."

She felt her mind travelling, propelling her to a place between waking and sleeping. A place where she never felt the need to guard her words or her emotions. A place that, as a shinobi, she had to destroy else risking the mission, her life or the lives of her comrades. Now that she was just a woman, she had nothing to hide.

"I wanted to be her," she heard herself say. "Ever since I was a kid I wanted to be a warrior like Kaminari. But when I couldn't do that anymore, I was lost."

"Peacetime displaced many shinobi, Tenten. You're not alone in your feelings," Neji said softly, coming to stand closer to her.

"I know that now," she replied. "I learned a lot in the past few months. Like I said, I'm not going to plan out every detail of my life anymore. My mom did it; nothing mattered to her outside of her goals on stage, not even me. I don't want to be like that, Neji. When my life changes in ways I'm not expecting, I want to be able to make the right decision and adapt."

"You need to give yourself more credit," Neji said. "Not knowing what to do after the war doesn't make you a monster."

"I know, but–"

Neji took her shoulders and made her face him. His eyes flashed, not with anger, but warm intensity. "Listen to me, please, because you need to understand this; You have nothing to be ashamed of."

Tenten took a breath. "Okay, fine. I'm over it. I won't bring it up again," she said with a smile. He was watching her, she noticed, deep in one of his thoughtful silences.

Neji abruptly released her shoulders and glanced around her dressing room. "I should go," he muttered, almost to himself.

Tenten shot him a shocked stare. "Why? What's wrong?"

"I just think I should leave," he replied, desperately trying not to look at her.

"I don't understand." Tenten stood and gently touched his arm.

Neji forced himself to meet her gaze. "You told me that you needed time to think about us and I said I would wait. And I will, but being near you with uncertainty is difficult."

He made steps away from her toward the door. Tenten, swallowing guilt, mild despair and dread, took his arm again.

"Neji." He did not look at her. "Please," he whispered. "I don't want you to leave," she said.

Before she could register the sensation, his hands were cupping both sides of her face and his lips were pressed against her own. Gently enough that she could easily pull away, but forceful enough to convey words he didn't speak.

She felt warmth spread throughout her body and heard a single word humming through her mind. _ Home._

She didn't want to be away from him, ever. Any apprehension she felt around him faded like the breaking dawn. What did she need to think about now, in this moment? Nothing. She wanted him; in her heart and mind she knew it. The uncertainty she felt the day prior only caused unneeded barriers keeping her from feeling happy and _alive._

When he pulled away, he searched her eyes once more and any reservations he may have seen before must have vanished because he gave her the smallest of smiles.

"I can't seem to control myself around you," Neji murmured.

With a gentle chuckle, Tenten replied, "I don't want you to."

He didn't and neither did she. Control, strategy, proficiency; it had no place in their time together. In fact, the addition of exploration and curiosity amplified the whirlwind of sensation between them. She managed to find a place between his shoulder blades that made him shudder as she wrapped her arms around him. At the same time, he made her gasp out loud when he ran his finger tips under her thighs.

Her eyes seemed to be closed for most of their time together. When she finally opened them, she noticed that the paint she was wearing rubbed off on his skin. White and indigo paint blended on his chest and arms, giving him the color of a winter sky. His lips were smeared and dark like her own. Pairing all that with the paleness of his eyes, he vaguely resembled a water spirit she'd seen in a painting once.

Breathless, she was perfectly content. He had her in a tight embrace, the back of her head resting against his chest. Their bodies were pressed closely together and he slowly, as if he had an eternity with her, moved inside her.

Tenten inhaled sharply, her hands groping his arms for support. "Open your eyes," he breathed, his voice hoarse and heavy.

Confused, Tenten obliged and stared curiously into her mirror. She felt heat rise to her cheeks, yet couldn't bring herself to look away. She didn't recognize herself. She'd never seen herself so candidly, so exposed. She found his eyes in the reflection and wondered, absurdly, if this moment existed in reality.

"You're beautiful," he whispered. She pressed her lips together, stifling something between a moan and a sob. Is this what he felt when he looked at her? The emotions she felt at the realization were overwhelming. "I–" she cried, but pleasure overtook her and left her speechless. _I love you_, she thought. There was time to tell him later, in an hour or a day or a year, when the moment was right.

* * *

"Your lips are blue," Tenten giggled straightening a plain kimono on her shoulders. Neji's smirk faded when he glanced into her mirror. "I don't know how you wear this," he grumbled smoothing out his clothes.

Tenten laughed and quickly pinned her hair into a simple bun. "You can use the shower in my room at the inn, if you want. I'd let you use the one in here, but it never runs hot water."

"I think you're just trying to get me alone in your room," he teased with a smile. Despite herself, Tenten blushed. "Shut up," she murmured and blushed darker when he laughed at her.

A few minutes later, they discretely left the theater and were in Tenten's room a short time later. After an equally pleasurable shower for the both of them, each of them almost forgetting to remove the paint smeared on them.

Later, they were curled together on her bed, softly talking about everything and nothing. They reminisced about times that should have been forgotten, traded secrets they'd told no one, made light confessions and joked amiably.

It was hours before Tenten drifted to sleep, her fingers gently interlocked in Neji's hair, his arm tight around her waist.

Months and months of sadness and despair seemed to fade from her memories, each negative one being replaced by this night and the nights to come. She was smiling before dreaming and felt that, finally, her life was moving down a path she didn't fear, but awaited like an old friend.

In her dreams, she saw herself still in Neji's arms, her hair white, her skin soft, laugh lines at the corners of her eyes and mouth. Her fingers still threaded through his fine hair and she was still smiling.


	11. Blue

**_Alrighty, so we're concluding the Star chapters._**

**_I'm really excited to get into the Blade section of the story._**

**_Please enjoy and review_**

**_Chapter 9- The Star: Blue_**

* * *

Tenten meant to pack her things a week before she was to leave Shukuba. Instead, she put off packing until the morning she left. Some part of her didn't want to leave the theater, yet another part of her knew it was time for her to return to the village. She enjoyed dancing and the stage, but it wasn't what she wanted to do long-term.

She was slowly folding her clothes when she heard a knock at her door. "It's me," she heard Takara say in the sing-song voice that once annoyed her beyond belief, but was not comfortingly familiar. "Come in," Tenten replied.

Takara entered the room with a smile, an intricately carved chest in her arms. She set the chest on the floor at sat on Tenten's bed with a sigh. Her lack of explanation about the chest made Tenten's curiosity blaze, but she held her tongue. "I can't believe you're not packed yet," Takara scolded beginning to fold a pair of pants.

"I know," Tenten murmured. "Something in me wants to stay."

Takara sighed. "If only. We'll all be off season for many months. But when our troupe comes together again, we all hope you'll join us again."

"That means a lot to me," Tenten replied, her face flushed.

"I took the liberty of having a cart ready for you when you leave," Takara said after a few minutes of packing. "There's no need for you to _carry _all your things."

"I could've managed," Tenten said, "But thank you. That was very thoughtful."

"Well, I have a few things for you," Takara replied. She stood and went to pick up the chest she brought into the room earlier. She gently placed it in Tenten's lap and sat next to her.

"These are some keepsakes I've collected over the years." Opening the chest was like looking into a kaleidoscope. At first, all Tenten noticed were rolls of silk and multiple different fans. "Some of my first costumes and props," Takara explained, her voice heavy with nostalgia.

Under the tightly folded kimonos was a smaller wooden box containing four sets of chopsticks, one red, one pink, one silver and one gold. The smaller box also had two combs, one set with pearls and one gilded in the shape of flowers.

At the very bottom of the chest was a small stack of envelopes wrapped together with a yellow ribbon.

"Love letters?" Tenten asked with a soft giggle. Takara's smile slightly faded. "No. They're from Satoru. I never opened them, but I didn't have the heart to throw them away."

Tenten stared at the unopened letters, a knot forming in her throat. "I'll leave you with them, then," Takara murmured, "I'll be with the cart when you're ready."

Tenten nodded absentmindedly. She picked one of the letters randomly and began to read. She immediately recognized his handwriting and that made her smile.

_~She's tall for three, like you were, my treasure, but not as delicate. Every day, she comes home from playing with cuts on her knees and her clothes covered with dirt. Instead of picking flowers, she goes frog-catching. It's adorable._

_~Your little one is already crawling. She's curious, completely in love with the world. I've decided to call her Tenten, because she's always moving about, never in one place for too long._

_~I know I don't usually write more than once a year, but I'm ill, my treasure. I don't know if I'll get better. I want to know that Tenten will be taken care of if anything happens to me. She has no one else and it's time for you to take responsibility for her. Having you is better than being alone._

_~She wants to be a warrior. When she told me that, I said that you would be proud. I wish you could see her grow as I have. You'll wish you had someday._

* * *

Tenten dressed for her departure in good spirits. She pulled on tight leggings with pink ribbons laced along the sides and stopped mid-calf. Takara left a pink, silk qipao that Tenten pulled on. The garment was rather sultry, the hem ending at her upper thigh with a slit up the sides. A cutout the shape of a teardrop decorated the bodice of the dress. It was lined entirely with a darker, sheer pink silk. Tenten felt strangely at home wearing it.

She finished dressing after putting on platformed sandals that had flowers painted along the heal and thick pink laces. She styled her hair normally and gave herself a final nod of approval in the mirror before leaving her room at the inn one final time.

The cart Takara hired was stocked with Tenten's possessions quickly and the driver told Tenten that they would be back in Konoha by early evening.

"Well," Tenten murmured to Takara uncomfortably, "looks like it's time for me to go."

"Right," Takara sighed softly. She gave Tenten a tight embrace, that lasted longer than Tenten expected. After a moment, she felt a warm wetness on her shoulder.

The embrace ended abruptly, with Takara quickly turning away from her. "I should be going too," Takara said, her voice wavering slightly. Tenten swallowed a lump forming in her throat. "Alright," she replied, but reached out a took Takara's hand before she went too far. "This is my address in Konoha, by the way," Tenten said handing her a piece of paper. "I'd like to keep in touch."

Takara inhaled sharply. When she turned to look at Tenten, her eyes were soaked and slightly red. "Of course we'll keep in touch," she said and briefly kissed Tenten on the cheek before turning and walking toward the theater.

Tenten took a calming breath and noticed Kaito approaching her as she started to walk back to her cart.

"I'm glad I'm not too late," Kaito said with a smile. Tenten returned the grin. "I didn't know you were still here. I though you'd returned home already," she replied.

"No, I have lose-ends to tie up here before I go," he explained. "Which includes paying you."

Tenten raised a brow, having never though about payment for what she did. "You don't have to–"

"Nonsense. We all receive a percentage of the sales. Financially, we did very well this season and you performed excellently. Here." Kaito handed her a small wooden chest filled with silver coins and bank notes written for amounts that completely shocked Tenten.

"Thank you, Kaito," she stammered, "This is so generous."

"You worked very hard and I'm grateful," he replied. "I also have a gift for you."

Tenten smiled and chuckled softly. "This is really too much."

She didn't notice that he had carried a box strapped on his shoulder. The box was long and lined with velvet, and Tenten immediately knew what it was.

"Kaminari's katana," she murmured.

Kaito laughed. "Yes. I want you to have it. I know it's dull and a prop and you can't use it, but I think it belongs with you. It will make lovely decoration on your wall."

Tenten opened the box and looked at the sword, still beautifully glowing gold, with a vibrant tail on the hilt. She wondered if she'd ever see a blade so beautiful again, even if it was just a prop. "This is too nice to just collect dust on a wall," she whispered.

"Well, it is yours," Kaito said, "So, you may do as you wish with it."

Tenten looked at him with a smile. She noticed an unwavering kindness painted on his face. When he laughed, he lightly cocked his head to the left and his eyes seemed to sparkle. She looked at his eyes and they reminded her of soil after a long rain.

All at once, thoughts came flooding into her mind. _His eyes are brown and he's been so nice to me. He wanted to hire me even though I didn't have any experience and his eyes are brown. He and Takara are so close and have been for so long. His eyes..._

"Are you–" she started, but her voice cracked and she was so nervous to hear the answer. Distress must have clearly shone on her face, because Kaito gently touched her shoulder.

"Are you–" she tried again, but the words stopped at her throat, completely unable to escape.

Kaito stared at her with swift understanding. He sighed heavily and gently squeezed her hand.

"No," he murmured. "No, I'm not your father. I'm sorry."

Tenten exhaled sharply and nodded. The thought was nice but fleeting. She wished he was, if only to know who he was, but she quickly resigned herself to never knowing.

"I wish I was," Kaito whispered. "Anyone would be lucky to call you their daughter."

* * *

The sun was setting slowly when Tenten saw the gates of Konoha looming over her. The ride was uneventful and she was happy to be coming home with a better mindset than the one she had when she left.

As she got closer to the gates, she noticed a small cloister of people gathered under them and their faces became clearer the closer she got.

Neji, Hinata, Lee and Ino stood at the entrance and waved when they noticed her. Tenten climbed from the cart and lightly ran toward them, beaming. Lee reached her first, and crushed her with a tight hug and his usual frantic ramblings.

Ino pulled Lee off of her and pulled Tenten into an even harder embrace, despite demanding answers about her behavior, answers that Tenten gave between breaths.

"I promised Hinata that I wouldn't give you a hard time, but you have no idea how worried I was for you," Ino raged dramatically. "If it's any consolation, I have an apology gift for you," Tenten murmured sheepishly.

Ino folded her arms stubbornly. "I won't be so easily won over," she said, though she curiously eyed the cart full of chests and boxes. "What's the gift?"

"Some earrings I found that I thought you'd like. They're shaped like flowers," Tenten said.

"Oh, that is so cheesy," Ino groaned, though the excited glint in her eyes betrayed her feigned stubbornness. "I guess I'll forgive you. But only because I don't hold grudges."

"Yeah, I'll ask Sakura to confirm that," Tenten joked. Ino rolled her eyes and put out her tongue at her, but smiled all the same.

Tenten then hugged Hinata amiably and gave Neji a casual greeting. With Ino and Lee around, Tenten didn't want answer anymore probing questions than she had too and she knew that between the two of them, an interrogation about her and Neji could last weeks.

After a few minutes, Tenten quickly excused herself to see her belongings back to her apartment while also promising to meet the group later, to celebrate her homecoming. "Will you need help unloading?" Neji asked her nonchalantly.

Tenten tried not to blush with delight and replied, "Sure. You can come."

They both rode the cart to her apartment and managed to get all of her things inside in a short amount of time. Tenten sighed and plopped on her couch when they were finished and smiled up at Neji. "It's so strange to be back here," she murmured. "But I'm really glad I'm home."

Neji took a seat next to her. "What do you think you'll do now?" he asked. Tenten was silent for a moment, weighing her options, before shooting to her feet and putting her hands on her hips.

"Plans are for tomorrow, Neji," she said resolutely. "Today, I'm jut going to enjoy myself as if I have no cares in the world." Tenten giggled and playfully straddled him. "Remember, I'm not meticulous anymore. Whatever happens, will happen. I'll figure out whatever I need to later." She leaned close and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. "All I know is that you'll be a small part of my plans."

"Small?" Neji murmured and Tenten laughed. She nearly told him that he was the only part of her life she was certain of at the moment, but it wouldn't have been entirely true. She was sure of herself and all she did and would do, which was more than she could have said months ago.

* * *

_**Alright, end of Star section.**_

_**Blade Section begins next; can't wait.**_

_**I mean, it's called Blade.**_

_**What could that possibly be about?**_

_**Hmm?**_

_**What lose ends need to be tied?**_

_**Hmm?**_

_**Tenten's story continues down an interesting path here, so keep reading!**_

_**Please Review.**_


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